Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1892-04-08
new ORLEANS FIAME-SXEpT
PROPERTY LOSS OF S3,GOO,OOO \
SINGLE DAY.
Cigarette IgnIics n Bale of Dry Cotton
Over $4,000 Bales Destroyed.

The two largest fires ever known in New
ORLEANS broke out almost simultaneously
sunday morning. DESTROYING II squares OF
grnrni. GSUpl bales Of cotton and over
81 .tpOUuo Of property. Euih hres
were the result Of c1ree>Sn''>'
and the great destruction lTu'h
them was due To long drought, the dry con
dition Of the houses aud cotto = the strong
breeze that was blowing aud the insufficient
size Of the fire department, which was rcor-
gained in January and cut down TO about
one-tenih what it was before.
The first fire began at 80 a. IN. in some
cotton stored on the pavement III front oi
the tireproof cotton press on the corner OF
Robin and Front streets. The stock on hand
there lust now i 80 large, over "",Ooo
bales. that the law about storing cotton on
pavCmcntS WAS relaxed.
Some one passing careless Y threw lighted
cigarette among the cotton. The lire was SO
small nj first that il NIGH, easily have been
stopped, but it spread rapidly IN an most
incredibly short time, Communicating To the
press itself. where there were l2,fO bales oi
cotton, and these soon ignitcd ana m ne
such blaZc and threw such heat thit
il would have been folly for the fire
men To have attempted to enter the
building or save it. They devoted
themselves Ia trying to prevent is spread 10
the neighbOrng preS>e., but the wlnd was
blowing a stitr breeze at the rate of 20 miles
AN hour. and il carried the flames over to the
neiyhbOrins shippers presses, IN which
there were 5000 bales. Some Of this had
been removed during the half-hour interval.
but ncar,v thret-fourths of the cotton was
burned, and the press itself was completely
DESTROYED within hnlf-hour.
The New Orleans press the largest of the
uptown ones. aud which contained 25,OoO
bales Of cotton, aud the independent press,
with 5000 were the next victims. The tlames
had spread So rapidly lay this time that there
was no possibility of saving any Of the cot
ton and presses and all 'hey cont ilhed were
completely DESTROYED.
The tircmcn made desperate attempt To
check the tire ut New Orleans press. They
were working Mt it when Il e wtl's fell in,
hurving three lircmrn in the ruins apt
Duprc, Lieut. Shaw and Pipcmnn Bordeaux
seriously, if not fatally, injnrinS the latter
two.
Bv this time the fire extended some i've
squares in len-th, AID communicated to
nun Der Of ncjchhOring houses, har-rooms,
stores, etc. It produced quite a panic and
neoplc for four and five squares around com.
mcncCd moving out their furniture.
The air was filled with wi>p' OF blazing
cotton which threatened roofs everywhere.
Among others. the Baldwin agricultural
works, three squares away, and the Louisi-
ana nee mills. four squares away, were SET
on fire, but the flames were cNtinrulshcd.
Fortunately the section in which the cot
ton presses are located contains few large
houses or residences, aEd many open places
or vacant lots, 50 that, after the presses them.
selves and the cotton burned, the fire largely
died out for want of fuel.
Inall g.. 500 bales of cotton wee burned.
The loss on the cotton, at 80 bale. Is So
Do, 900 The presses We're worth S1N,OOo;
other property destroyed. intending Is hor-
SEES in the neiShborhood $4,000 Total loss,
S3,O21 500.