The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-04-08
new ORLEANS FIRES
For There Were Two Destructive
COnfagrations in One Day.
LOSSES THREE MILLION DOLLARS.
Eighty Thousand Bales of Cotton Reported
to Have Been Destroyed-Nearly Every
Building in Four Squares Burned
Hundreds Homeless.


most destructive cotton fires on record
broke out at 1890 o'clock yesterday
morning among some cotton ON the
sidewalk in front of the fireproof press
on North Front street. Five cotton
presses, including the fireproof Ship
pers Independent, were burned with
their contents of $4,000 bales of cotton.
The loss is estimated at S3.OO0,OOO.
The parties who saw smoke among
the bales gave the alarm immediately,
and a few minutes later the bells rang
| out ~" The department responded
promptly. but the wind was so high and
the cotton so dry that it burned like
tissue paper.
The flames ran high and in an
incredibly short time communicated
to the press itself and were working
their way along the woodwork of the
roof. Firemen worked like demons to
arrest the progress of the flames, but
their efforts We're unavailing. A re-
peated alarm brought more engines to
the scene. Additional pipes were run
out and extra streams of water pumped
on the flames, but they had no
effect whatever. The woodwork cracked
and fell To the ground and the bright
flames leaped up from every part of the
compass.
The district burned over is bounded
by Peters. Front, Thalla and Robin
streets and the presses destroyed are rs
follows: Fireproof. Penrose Bros,
managers. South Front street. south
west corner of Robin: Shippers, Boyd
~ Herrick, prCprietOrs, South Peters
street, between Henderson and
Robin; Independence Cotton Yard,
South Peters street; Orleans Cot
ton Press, South Peters between
Thalia and Terpsichore. The total
amount of cotton burned. as near as
can be asccrtained. Is estimated at 50, ZOO
Oales. 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 that
the total loss viii probably not exceed
$50 per bale. making the total ON cotton
between S2.O0O.O0O and $2.250.OO0. The
loss on presses and sheds IS estimated at
Sl5O.OOG
1t is thought the fire started from a
cigarette which some person threw
among the cotton. For three blocks
around the burning presses the resi-
dents moved out their furniture for fear
that the fire would spread to their
homes. Men, women and children were
running about with furniture and other
property which they wished to save.
r. 41,,,, 10 - lstra
don their parcels in the street, where a
number of fire thieves, who are general
" in attendance on these occasions, got
in their work.
ANOTHER FIRE.
New ORLEANS, April while the
cotton press fire was raging an alarm
was sent in for fire in the residence
portion of the city. 1t was bounded by
Laurel, Annunciation, Second and Third
streets. 1t the time the fire depart
ment, police and majority of the resi-
dents of the burning district were at
the cotton press fire.
4 gale was blowing and the flames
were famed in all directions. Chief
OConnor sent several engines to the
scene, but before they could get down
to active work dozen houses were in
flames. Alarms We're sent in and every
engine on both sides of the river was
summoned to the scene. The heat was
intense and for this reason il was al
most impossible to go near the burning
buildings, the wind in many instances
blowing the flames across the street.
The flames spread il every direction
owing to the varying winds. Sweeping
across Laurel street with frightful
rapidity they attacked the square
bounded by Laurel. Third and Maga-
zine streets, four squares We're ablaze
and the wooden buildings were de-
voured as if they were so much chaff.
Magazine street stayed the march of
the destructive element westward and
acted as 4 barrier on the south. Every
building in the four squares mentioned
except four were destroyed. Most of
the houses were small bat some very
handsome houses on Magazine street
wese destroyed.
Hundreds of people have been left
homeless by the fire. and in many cases
nothing viii be saved from the burning
Dulldlng.
The scene presented was one of desc
lation. Nothing remains of the many
handsome buildings in the four squares
but gaunt looking chimneys which. like
huge spectral forms, stand guard over
the blackened ruins.
The losses by the fire are estimated at
S25O.O 1t is believed that the BALD
ings were mostly insured.