The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-18
FIREIN NEW ORLEANS
Great Buildings in the Heart of
the City Burned.
LOSS TWO MILLION DOLLARS.
The Flame Fighters slow and Poorly
Equipped-An Epidemic of Incen-
diarism at Memphis.

NEW ogIraSs, Feb IA. II O'Clock tonight
FIRE Quilted the dry goods store Of schwartz &
Sons, corner of Canal and Bourbon streets The
heat was so great that the hremen could not get
near the burning building. The aro then
spread to the sdjoiaing buildings, and soon
werelein's music store, cleverious' irug
store, RuukeF>, dry goods; AcClo~key 5,
confectionery; Kuhn's, fancy goods; kreeger's,
fancy goods; the Nickle Plate shoe store,
Quibbles, fancy goods: Kraus Bros, notions;
Hutiman's, worsteds. BrilI's saloon and Wen
ger's saloon were destroyed. This buildings and
stock destroyed viii approximate in value
s2,00Oooo
schwartzs Establishment was a commanding
structure only recently completed. being OF
four stories with mansari roof, of brick. iron
and stone, surrounded by high clock tower.
At 1915 waiter n a restauIzn on the opposite
side OF the street perceived a small tongue of
fame licking its way along the cornice OF the
ROOF of the Schwartz building, and fastened
TO give toe alarm. he department responded
promptly, but experienced great d! ficUity in
getting to work, and the whole eddce was
ablaze before a stream could he brought to bear
upon il The flames spread backward TO kraus
Bros. esiabl ishment, and across b urbon street
to Cleverious' drug store simultaneously, and
the department found itself power,ess 10
cope with the destroyer, and the suburban
engines were pressed into service Backward
the fire spread TO Ho4FnAn's; to the left ii at
tscked Wereiein's, and crash followed upon
crash as the falling roofs overwhelmed the
floors beneath, already heavily laden with
stocks of merchandise, and each gave way in
turu, until tho interior fixtures OF the
stores and contents we're piled in
blazing heap on the ground floor.
stripped Of all supports the walls of tho
schwartz building toppled and fell, the Were
lein building quickly ioIiowed suit The build
ing on the river side OF Bourbon street crashed
In soon after, and a whole square of the most
valuable property in the city was a smok ing
mass OF ruins. breeze arose to fan the
flames, and they attacked their prey with re-
newed vigor. ON the opposite side o; Bourbon
street the Cleyerious building was the FIRST TO
collapse, and carried with it the walls OF Run
kel's establishment NcC o>key's confectionery
was mass of teething flames. kreeger's
building was also burning iercoly. The Nickle
Plate shoe store interviewed 70 save the main en-
trance 10 d. L. Ho mes immense establishment
on Cana, street, and that portion of
the store was bu. little damaged. The Bour-
bon street entrance TO Holmes building.
however, Jared worss. The massive piate-glass
windows and weather doors were shattered to
atoms, and the more inaammsbls portion OF the
stock thus exposed caught fire in moment.
Long ere this the department was fair y at work
and tons OF water were being poured upon the
burning material, and the flames showed the
first symptoms Of yielding. On Canal street
east OF Bourbon, they met an impossible barr er
in the massive Touri buildings, which sdiuia
Wereiein's, and though the roofs of ali the
stores com prising the row were more than once
sfire the flames could make no progress against
the sturdy masonry. The new Cosmopolitan
hotal and adjoining structures which front on
Royal street, just off Canal, and run back
into the center of the block caught fire, snd il
required the utmost efforts OF the iremen to save
them. The promptness with which the various
electric circuits running through the heart of
the city were shut Off prevented casualties, and
the only accident noted is the injury OF q fire.
man, caused BIZ flying debris.
The Schwartz stock was valued at over $780,
600, insured for $4,000. and he building was
insured for sS5,OO0 considerably below Its value.
worth nearly twice as much, bus the
damage TO 1t is not thought to be
very great Cleverious carried 5000 in
surance on his stock. and the others were
injured in proportion. Every insurance com
psny in the city has about an equal share in the
loss. Most OF the buildings destroyed were
newly erected, and are collectively thought to
be worth $4,000. Many other buildings, with
contents, were badly damaged. 1t is impossible
to OBTAIN full details OF the losses and insurance
tonight.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Feb. l7.-Thers ia an cpl.
demic Of incendary fires here. On Monday
night several small residences we're burned.
Last night there were four fires, two dwellings
being burned and the inmates barely escaping.
Every effort is being made to discover the tire
hugs