The Portland daily press., 1892-04-04
Flames Held Nigh Carnival in the
Crescent City.
TWO BIG CoNFLAGRATIONS AT THE
SAME TIME.
One Was in the Cotton Presses and Store
Houses and Caused a Loss of millions
While 1t Absorbed Attention, Another
Started and Made Many Homeless
wild Scenes of Panic.

Started ana ulhuo 3kA0ly homeless
wild Scenes of Panic.
New ORLEANS, April 3.-One Of the
most destructive cotton fires on record
broke out at 1890 this morning among
some cotton on the sidewalk in front of
the Fire Proof press on North Front
street, between Race and Orange. The
parties who saw the smoke issuing from
the bales gave an alarm and the depart
ment responded promptly. The wind
was so high and the cotton so dry that it
burned like tissue paper. The flames
ran high and in short time had commu-
Gated to the press itself and were work
ing their way along the woodwork of the
roof. The firemen worked hard to check
the progress of the flames, but their eff
forts were unavailing. After three re-
peated alarms, general alarm was sent
in and all the engines Of the city, except
two or three, were called out. The Fire
Proof press had about 10000 bales of
cotton stored in it. This was entirely
consumed. The firemen could not en-
ter the press to save the staple for the
Flames Ragged on Every Side.
Crowds of people rushed to the scene,
but were kept at distance from the fire
by the police. Half an hour after the
flames started, the Fire Proof press was
totally consumed and the flames had
communicated to the Shipper press.
The fire attacked this building from
oil ci6ocs omit a fhrnnrlf
the woodwork with wonderful rapidity.
In this press was stored $4,000 bales of
cotton, some of which was saved. The
major portion of the staple was soon in
flames. The fire ate its way along the
rafters of the press down through the
woodwork into the cotton stored beneath
the sheds. 1t was only the cotton stored
in the yard that was saved. 1t required
but short time, with the high wind that
was blowing, to destroy this press. The
walls soon looked like charred pillars,
tottering to and fro and endangering the
lives of the firemen. Several of the latter
had narrow escapes. For at least two
blocks, the flames shot upward. Smoke
and sparks from the fire. were blown into
the streets and chokedl and singed the
spectators.
Suddenly small flame was seen to
leap skyWard from the corner of the In
dependent press and in afew seconds,
the entire square was in a.blaze. The
square formed almost solid block of
fire.
The Last Structure to Take Fire
was the Orleans press. It was Quilted
and it's contents, consisting of 10000
bales. consumed.
Hard work kept the fire from spread
ing beyond the square burned by Peters,
Front, Thalia and Robin streets. The
cotton burned is estimated at $4,000 bales
and was held by factors and commission
merchants and covered by their open
policies. Much of this cotton will be
sent to the pickeries and saved SO the
total loss will probably not exceed $50
per bale, making total loss on the cot
ton of So, 10000 The loss on presses
and sheds is estimated at $150,000. 1t is
thought the fire started from cigarette
some one threw among the cotton.
While the cotton press fire was raging,
an alarm was sent in for a fire in the resi-
dence portion of the city. At the time,
the fire department, police and a large
majority of the residents Of the burning
district were at the cotton press fire. The
gaze Was SClu DlOWluS stt lie ullue dllu bIle
flames were famed in all directions.
Chief o. Connor sent several engines to
the scene, but, before they could get to
active work, a dozen houses were in
flames. Every available engine on both
sides of the river was summoned to the
scene. The heat was intense and the
wind blew the tongues of flames across
the street. People who lived in the
square bounded by Laurel, Magazine,
Second and Third streets packed up their
valuables, but as the fire refused to be
subdued they
Took Fright and Wild Scenes Ensued.
Houses were dismantled and their con-
tents carried away. House after house
went down and the efforts OF the over
worked firemen seemed in vain. Crowds
gathered from far and near, and men and
boys assisted in removing the
furniture. The fire swept across
Laurel street with great rapidity, and
soon the whole section bounded by First,
Third. Laurel and Magazine streets, four
squares, was ablaze. Every building in
the four squares mentioned, except four,
was destroyed. The losses will aggre-
10 @OS0 000