The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-02-18
AN IMMENSE FIRE
One of the Finest Blocks in New
Orleans Burned.
A TWO MILLION DOLLAR LOSS
Difficulty in Arresting the Flames-Eeroic
Work by Firemen-Ihe Crash OF
Falling Walls.

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. I7.-At IL O'Clock
tonight FIRE Quilted the dry goods store of
Asharz & Soma, corner of Canal and Bour-
bon streets. The heat was SO great the
fremen could not get near the burning
building. The fire then spread to the ad-
Joining buildings, end soon Wevelin's
muKic store; Ciuvier's drug store; Runkle's
dry goods; McClosky, confectionery;
Kuhn, fancy goods; krelger, fancy goods:
Nickie Plate shoe store; Squlbble, fancy
goods; Kraus Bros, notions; Hoffman,
worsteds; Briil's saloon and Wenger's
saloon were consumed. The fire is still
burning fercely. The buildings and stocks
already destroyed viii approximate &, Geo.
co.,
Swartz's establishment was a command
ing structure only recently completed,
being four stories with g mansard roof, OF
brick, iron and store, surmounted by
restaurant on the opposite side OF
the street perceived q small tongue
Of fame licking its way along the
cornice OF the roof Of the Swartz
building and FASTENED to give the alarm.
The department responded promptly, but
experienced great difficulty in getting TO
work, and the whole edifce was ablaze be-
fore stream could be brought TO bear upon
it. The flames spread backward
to hrsus Bros. establishment and
across Bourbon street to Gle
verion's drug store simultaneously, and
the department found itself powerless to
cope with the destroyer, and suburban en-
gines were pressed into service. Back
ward the fire spread to Eoffman's, TO the
left it attacked Werlein's, and crash fol-
lowed upon crash as falling roofs
fell over the bnrdened floors beneath,
already heavily laden with stocks Of
merchandise, and each gave way in turn
until the interior fixtures Of the stores and
their contents were piled in blazing heap
on the ground floor. Stripped OF all sup
port, the walls of the Schwartz building
toppled an5 fell. and Werlein's building
quickly followed suit. A building on the
river side Of Bourbon street crashed in
soon after and full a square of the most
valuable property in the city was smok-
ing mass Of ruins.
breeze arose to fan the flames and they
attacked their prey with renewed vigor.
On the opposite side of Bourbon street
CleFerln's building was the first to col
lapse and carried with it the walls OF
Runkeps establishment. McCloskey's
confectionery was amass Of seethiug flame
kreger's building was also burning hercsly
The Nickel Plate shoe store interviewed u
save the main entrance to D. II. Holmes
immense establishment on Canal street aDC
that portion Of the store was but little
damaged. The Bourbon street entrance
TO Holmes however, Jared morse. Massive
plate glass windows and weather door!
were shattered to atoms, and the more in
fammable portions OF the stock thus eL
posed caught fire in q moment. Long err
this the department WINS hard at work and
tons of water were being poured upon the
burning material, and the flames shovel
the first symptoms Of yielding.
An Canal street. east of Bourbon, they
met an impossible barrier in the massivt
Tours buildings, which anioins Wer
lein's, and though the roofs o
all the stores comprising the row
we're more than once afire, tbs
flames could make no progress against the
sturdy masonry. The new Cosmopolital
hotel and adjoining structures, which from
on Royal street and just of Canal and rul
back into the centre of the block, caught FIR
in the rear and ii required the utmost effort
Of the 1remen 10 save them. The promptnes
with which various electric circuits run
ming through the heart of the city wert
smut of prevented fatalities, and the onl,
accident noted is the injury Of a fireman
caused by flying debris.
Schwsrtz's stock was valued at owe
the building for $50, 900, con
siderably below value. Holmes
stock was insured for half a million an
worth nearly twice as much, but the dam
age to IL is not thought 10 be very great
Cuiverea's carried IS Geo on their stock an
others were insured in proportion. Ever
insurance company in the city has about a.
equal share OF loss. Most CO the building
destroyed were newly erected and collect
lively thought to be worth $3.50 00 Man
other buildings with their contents wer
badly damaged, 1t is impossible to Obtain
full details of the losses and insurance to
pfcht