The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-04-09
Destructive Fire.

Destructive Elfcs
Turning Of schonbergs' Stable and Four
Adjacent Build;ngs-Loss About
1880; Insurance, $4,000.
Last Saturday night, shortly before
II o'clock, fire broke out at Schonbsrg's
two-stoly stable, corner Of Railroad Ave
nue. and Iberv;lle streets, originating III
the rear portion of the building, either
ur stairs where hay and feed were stored
or in the lower compartment where the
hearse was usually kept.
A large crowd soon gathered and the
fire companies were on hand quite as
promptly as could be expected consider
ing the hour, but the inflammablc nature
Of the stable and its contents, the almost
intolerablc heat thrown ont by the fire,
and the delay in obtaining buckets and
men to handle them, rendered it impos-
sible to arrest the progress of the flames
until the stable, the mule shed along
SIDE Schn.er's blacksmith shop, Oil
meyers saddlery shop, Eris' residence
and oyster saloon combined, and Helen
Lafarguc's small residence had been
burned to the ground. All these build
ings excepting the last named were sit
uated on Railroad Avenue: Mrs. Lafar-
CUES house was gu 15erville street, just
behind the stable. All that the tiremen
and the assembled citizens could do was
to protect adjacent houses and remove
portable property from the buildings
that were evidently about to he de-
this way and to the activity of the work
ers and the favorable direction OF the
wind must be ascribel the confinement
of the fire to the comparatively small
space it trlversed. DR.. John b. DuffeTs
residence, Mr.. z. Lefevre's City Hotel
building, the ST. Charles Hotel and the
little house adjoining Helen Lafaryue's
were Oh fire at different times, but were
fortunately saved. While the Eris prop
crty was burning, considerable appre-
hension was felt on account Of the near
proximity of the flames to the gas ma
chine in the rear Of the Lemann build
ing, but the tre-tighters rallied III force
at that point and avcrtcd the danger.
The origin of the fire is Il mystery and
will doubtless remain so. The losses
and the insurance are about as follows:
Solomon and Emanuel Schonberg, stable,
stock shed and contents, value about
$500, insurance $4,000; f. P. Schnlcr,
blacksmith shop and contents, value
$1,000, insurance on tools $500; ID. Oil
meyer and Frederick Brcnn, sadtlcry
shop, value about $500, insurance on
stock and building $4OO-most Of the
stock and tools were saved, we under
stand, but sustained considerable dam
age: Nicholas Ers (better known as
"Canarine ", residence and oyster sa-
loon, value 5000, no insurance; Helen
Latargur, residence, value $3.50, no III
surance; total loss $3.50, total insurance
$4,000.
There were several horses in the stable
when the fire began, but persons who
were first to arrive succeeded i'll getting
the animals out. We learn that a NUM-
Der of sets of harness, nearly $1,000 worth
of hay and other feed and about sixty
collins were destroyed with the stable.
We could cite several instances Of
conspicuous individual activity in the
work Of saving property and arrestinS
the progress of the flames, but it is best
to avoid such distinctions, save III very
exceptional eases, for fear Of emitting
mention of services equally mcritorious
rendered by other persons which may
have escaped attention. The Blue Buck
cts were on hand iii force and worked
like Trc.ans, as they always do on such
occasions, adding another to their many
we'll earned laurels The Hook and
Ladder truck appeared early i'll the sc-.
ton and the ladders came in good play,
is usual, while the members Of the com
pany were active in handling them and
III using he graphing hooks, pixies and
axes to best advantage. Phoenix Fire
Company was also well represented, but
unfortunately the defective condition Of
their apparatus and the insutiiciency Of
the available water supply detracted
greatly from their usefulness. 1t was
not until the last building was almost
burned to the ground that Il stream Of
water was thrown that had any visible
effect npon the flames. The members Of
Phoenix and the property -hAl4lers-- OF
-=~ooSI it to themselves AM
the community to see that the facilities
OF our only eng inc fire company for eft
fc2tive service are speedily and materl
ally improved. A movement in thi
direction has been i,laugurated and W.
hope to see it carried to Il successful con
clu>ion. On this subject we shall hav'
more to say next week.