The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-18
PRICE FIVE CENTS
LOSSES AGG REGATE MILLIONS.
A Furious Fire Kaees for Several Hours In
Now Orleans,


NEw ORLEANS, Fob. 18.--At II O'Clock Inst
night fire guttod the dry goods store Of
swnrtz ~ Sons, corner Canal and Bourbon
streets. The heat waa 20 great that tho
iirernen could not get near the burning
building. Tho fire thon spread to adjoin-
ing buildings, and soon Werelein's music
store, Cluvier'a drug store, Rnnkles' dry
goods store, McCoskey's confectionery,
Kuhn's, Quipple's and Krecger's fancy
goods stores, Nickel Plate shoe store,
kraus Bros notion store. nofrman's
woFsted store, BrllPs saloon and Wenger'a
saloon were consumed. The Swartz estab-
lishrnent was q commanding structure, only
recently completed, being four stories, with
mansard roof, OF brick, iron and stone.
snrmounted by high clock tower. At
lo:I waiter in a restaurant on
the opposite side OF the street per-
ceived small tongue Of flame
licking its way along the cornice of the
Swartz building and hastened to give the
alarm. The department. responded
promptly, but experienced great difficulty
in getting to work. and the whole edifce
was ablaze before n stream could be brought
spread SO 1''' backward pon to Kraas ns s%s: Bsos
establishment and across Bourbon
street to Cl4yier's drug store
simultaneously and the department. found
itself powerIess to cope with the destroyer,
and suburban engines were pressed into
service. Backward the fire spread to Hotf-
mans.
| 10 the left it attacked Wevelein's and
crash followed upon crash as falling roofs
overbnrdened the floors beneath, alreudy
heavily burdened with stocks of merchan-
disc, and each gave way in turn until tho
interior fixtures Of the stores and counters
were piled III q blazinV heap on
the ground floor: Stripped Of ali
supports the walls Of the Swartz
building toppled and fell and the Werclein
building quickly followed suit. The build
ing on the river side Of Bourbon street
crashed in soon after, and full sGnare OF
the most valuable property in the city was
smoking mass OF ruins A breeze arose
to fan the tiames and they attacked their
prey with renewed vigor.
On the opposite side of Bourbon street
the Cluyiers building was first to collapse,
and carried with 1t the walls Of Runkels'
establishment. McCloskey's confectionery
was q mess of seething flames. Kregers'
building was also burning fiercely. The
Nickel Plate shoe store intervened to
save the main entrance to D. IT, Holiness
immense establishment on Canal street,
aud that portion of the store WAS but little
damaged. The Bourbon street entrance
to Holmes'. however. Jared worse.
The massive plate glass windows
tion of the stock thus exposed caught fire
in a moment. Long ere this the depart
ment was lairly at work, and tons of water
were being poured upon the burning ma
terial, and the flames showed the first
symptoms of yielding.
On Canal street east of Bourbon, they
met an impossible barrier in the massive
buildings which adjoin Werlien's, and
though the roof Of all the stores comprising
the row were more than once atire
flames could make no progress against
sturdy masonry. The new Cosmopolitan
hotel and adjoining structures, which front
Royal street, Just off canal and run back
into the middle Of the block. caught tire
il the rear and it required the
utmost efforts Of tho tiremen
to save them. The promptness with which
the various electric circuits running
through the heart of the city were shut on
prevented fatalities, and the only accident
noted is the injury of a fireman caused by
flying debris.
The swartz stock was valued at owe,
S500,000. insured for $360.OOO. and tho
building for S35,000, considerably below
value. The Holmes stock was insured for
half million and was worth nearly twice
as much. but the damage to it is not
thought to be very great. Other losses are
not known.