Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-19


0sods Estsblishosst-
M ts,ssraps 70 ~ D,spAschl
( NKw OrrzAxs, La. February 1.-TWO
millions Of money went up - smoke last
night BY the destruction OF the is y. . re-
This morning the palatial stores Of A.
GchWartz q Sons. Amor Rhnkle. and 8. q.
Krseger, gloves, millinery. and fancy.
goods; Philip Weriin, pianos and musical
{nssruments Kraus Brothers. fancy goods
and notions; p. ". Clavoying. retail
drugs; Jonn McCloskey. coufectioneries;
James NJ. Hoffman. worsteds and fancy
goods. and L. viple, gloves and perfumery,
In fact the walls of the buildings have
fallen. The scene of the fire was on Canal
street. tne principal thoroughfare of the
city, at the point whore 1t Is intersected by
Bourbon street.
WHERE IT BEGAN.
The Schwartz establishment, COM
manding structure recently completed,
occupied the corner of Canal and Bourbon
streets. twas four story structure aud
a mansard roof. brick, stone, and iron
building. surmounted by o high clock
tower. Al 10.le o'clock o waiter in Mo.
reau's -estaur ant on the opposite side OF
Canal street perceived small tongue OF
flame licking its way on the cornice OF
the roof of the Schwartz building and
fastened to give an alarm. The depart
ment responded promptly, but expert
enced great difficulty in getting to work,
and the whole edifce was ablaze before
stream could be brought to bear upon IT.
The flames spread backward to kraus
Brothers establishment and across Bour-
bon street 70 Cluveriuss drugstore stimuli,
taneously. and the department found itseiI
in q moment powerless to cope with the
destroyer. A general alarm was sent IN. ana
repeated. and the suburban. engines were
pressed into service. Backward the nre
spread to Hoifman's. To the left IT
attacked Wcrlien's, and crash followed
upon crash as roofs fell upon the overbur-
dened floors beneath. already heavily Ia,
dened with stocks OF merchandise, ana
each gave way in turn until the interior
fixtures of the stores and their contents
were piled in q blazing heap on the groun1,d
floor. and stripped of all support the Walls
OF the Schwartz building toppled and fell:
aud the Werlein building quickly followed
suit The building on the rlver size OF
bourbon street crashed in soon after. aud
full half a square of the most vaiua-
BILE property in the city was q smoking
mass of ruins.
THE FIRE SPREADS.
The breeze arose to fan the flames, ana
they attacked their prey with renewed
vipOr. On the opposite side OF Bourbon
street the Cluverius building was the hrst
10 collapse. and it carried with 1t the walls
OF Runkels establishment. McC!oskeys
confectionery was mass Oh seethins
flame, and Kreger's building was also
burning fercelv. The Nlckle-Piate shoe
store interviewed to save the main entrance
TO ID. II. Holmes immense establishment
ON Canal street, and that portion of the
store was but little damaged. The Bour-
bon. street entrance to Holmes. however.
Jared worse. The massive plate-giass
windows and weather doors were shattered
to atoms, and the more infiammable por-
tions of the stock thus exposed caugnt
fire in moment.
Long ere this the department was fairly at
work and tons or water were being poured
upon the burning material and the names
showed the first symptoms Oh yleiuins.
On Canal street east of Bourbon they met
An impassable barrier in the MASSIVE
Touro buildings, which adjoins Werlein's,
and though the roof of all the stores COM
prlslng the row were more than once on
IRE the flames could make no progress
against the sturdy masonry. The new
Cosmopolitan Hotel and the adjoining
structures. which front on Royal street
Just of Canal and run back into the centre
OF the block. caught IRE III the rear ana IL
required the utmost effort on the part OF
the fire department to save them.
LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
The Schwartz stock valued at over $780,
600 was insured for 1890 900, and the build
ing for S35,O01. considerably below Its
value. Holiness stock was insured Tor
$500 900 and was worth nearly twice as
much, but the damage to 1T IS not thought
TO be very great. Cluverius carried
IS. 900 on MS stock. and Others were H.
sured in proportion. Every insurance COM
panv III the city has about an equal share
of the loss. The risks have been divided.
Most of the buildings were newly erected,
and considered separate and excellent
risks. The individual losses, so far as they
can be ascertalned. are as follows: A.
S365. 900; Benevolent and PROTECTIVE
Order OF Elks. $4,000. uninsured: w. l..
Cluverius, $1,000, covered by insurance;
Wenger's Garden. $50, 900. insured; ID: ii.
Holmes. $4,000, insurance $60.0UO; Nine.
Goddard. loss slight; J. NJ. Hof-
man, loss $1,000, insured John Cur
~. $3.50. uninsured; y. u. Gregger,
$50 900, insured; John McCloskey, Sl0.-
900, insured hranz Brothers $4,000,
partly insured; Philip Werlein, $4,000, in
sured. The buildings destroyed are COL
lectiyelv estimated to be worth fully $780,
900, while many other buildings were badly
damaged, rs well as their contents, and
are not included in the above estimate.
ESTIMATED ACTUAL LOSS.
New ORLEANS. February IS. - Colonel
Simon Toby, the insurance editor Of the
States, estimates the actual loss by the FIRE
| last night at 81 ,1D0, 900, and the insurance
at S750,0O0. Home companies Will be
affected to the extent of 100000. The
rest of the insurance is carried by foreign
companies. The general opinion is that
| the fire was caused by an electric-lieh
wire. The Schwartz building was illumi-
| mated by the Edison Electric Light Com
| pany. There were no lights in the store.
| Chef O'Conner this morning stated that
the alarm he got at his house was the auto
matte one.