Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-04-04
SUNDAY MORNING FIRE.
Cotton Presses Burn-PeOple
Left Homeless.
FIRE AT NEW ORLEANS.
-Four Blocks burned-A Large Loss
on Cotton.

NEW ORLEANS, April A. Fire
broke out at 1890 yesterday among
some cotton on the sidewalk in
front of a fireproof cotton press on
Front street, where 10000 bales of
cotton were stored. The depart
ment promptly responded, but the
wind WAS so high and the cotton so
dry that it burned like tissue paper.
The flames ran right and left and
in q short time communicated to the
press itself. The fireman worked
like heroes to arrest the progress Of
the flames. In half an hour after
the flames started tie fireproof press
was totally consumed with all its
contents, and the flames cOmmuni-
Gated to the upper press, attacking
the building from ali sides with
wonderful rapidity. In this press
were stored 50,00s bales of cotton,
some Of which was saved, but the
greater portion was destroyed, how
ever. II required but very short
time to destroy the press. Several
firemen had narrow escapes from
falling walls. The sight was an
awe jnsI iring one. From a space OF
at least two blocks sheet of flame
shot upwards, the smoke and sparks
from the fire, blown down into the
street by the wind, chOked and
singed the spectators. Suddenly D
small flame was seen to leap sky-
ward from the corner of the IDde-
pendence press. In a second almost
the entire square was ab'aze and the
flames formed almost solid block
of fire. In the yard were stored
10000 bales of cotton which were
consumed In a little time. The
place was gutted and the contents
consisting Of 10000 bales, destroyed.
AS soon as it was apparent there
was no possibility of saving the
burning structure the firemen de-
voted their attention to the sur
rounding structures. Every engine
of both sides of the liver was then
summoned. People living in the
nsighborhOod took fright and a wild
scene ensued. HOUSES were dis
mantled and the contents carried
away. House after house went
down and the efforts of the firemen
seemed in vain In the face of over
whelming odds. The flames spread
in every direction, owing to varying
winds, and soon the section boundt d
by First, Third, Laurel and Maga-
zine streets, four squares, was ablaze
and the wooden buildings were de-
voured. Every building in the four
squares mentioned except four, were
destroyed. Hundreds of people
were left homeless by the fire, and
in many cases nothing will be saved
from the burning buildings. The
scene presented was truly one OF
desolatioD. Nothing remains of the
many handsome buildings embraced
in the four squares but blackened
ruins.
The district burned is bounded by
Peners, Front, Thelis and Robin
streets, and the presses destroyed
are as follows: Fire proof, Penrose
Bros, Shippers; Boyd & Herrick,
proprietors. Independence Cotton
yard, Orleans cotton press, Adam
Norwich, manager. The total
amount of cotton destroyed as near
as now can be ascertained, IL esti.
mated at $4,000 bales, held by fac
tories and commission merchants,
covered 10y open policies. Much OF
the cotton will be sent to pitchers
and saved, so that the total loss will
not exceed $50 per bale, making the
total loss on cotton $2,500,000. The
loss on presses and sheds Is estimated
at Sl50,000, The fire Is thought tt
have started from a cigarette which
some person threw among the cot
ton. For three blocks around the
burning pr sses people moved out
for fear the fire would spread to their
homes. Fire thieves got in generous
work, When the walls of the Orleans
cotton press fell, three men were seen
under the falling mass, and shortly
after the unfortunate firemen We're
taken from the ruins, moaning and
crying with pain and taken to the
hospital, where their injuries We're
dressed. The men all belong TO
number lS, and their names are
Alfred Dupree, Lieutenant
Shaw and Pipeman Bordeaux,
Dupree was slightly Injured, but