Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1905-02-28
new ORLEANS HAS
A $5,OOO,OOO FIRE
Magnificent Railroad Terminals
Completely Destroyed.
$4,000 BALES OF COTTON BuRNEr
No Lives Were Lost, But Firemen
Had Several Narrow Escapes-Work
VIII Commence Immediately to Re-
build Burned District.

New Orleans, Feb. 27.-The fire at
the Illinois Central Terminals in this
city had burned out by a. m, having
made clean sweep of elevators and
sheds from Louisiana avenue to Ma
poleon avenue. The smouldering ruins
will, Of course, burn for day or two.
The wharves destroyed is estimated
at $4,000. Two elevators, old and
new, warehouses, wharf sheds, num-
bers l to 8, and part of number 8,
new FOB. cotton warehouse, $780,
600; cotton destroyed 23,000 $920,000;
100000 bushels of grain, $385,000; 15,.
900 barrels of sugar, $300,000; cotton
seed cake 130 car loads, $97, 500. Lum-
Der, S16,625; cement, $56,250; meal,
20 cars, $4,000; sundries, $150,000;
500 freight cars, $375,000; ships ram
aged, $4,000; city fire department, two
engines, four horses, $4,000; private
property and other damage, $216,000.
Total over $5,0O0,000
It is estimated that the insurance
on stored freight, ETC., will approx
mate $4,OO0,O00.
The Illinois Central railroad an
nounces today that as soon as the
ruins cool forces will be put to work
to clear away the debris and Stuyve-
SAINT docks and elevators will be
promptly rebuilt, on more elaborate
and substantial scale than before.
In the meantime, the officials of the
roads are today engaged In the formu-
lation of plans that will enable them
to handle the traffic now on it's way
here from the west and to avoid any
material diversion of freight from this
city.
The railroad company carried its
own insurance and the contents of the
various elevators and sheds were in
sured in local and foreign agencies.
The wharves covered 4,750 feet,
distance of over ten blocks. OF this
wharfage $4,000 feet and what it con-
tanned was destroyed, the remainder at
the upper end of the terminals being
saved through the fact that the wind
blew strongly in the opposite direc.
tion. The destroyed wharf cost $780,
900. Elevator 3D." leased to Harris,
Scotton & Co, of Chicago, cost $780,
600 when built, and elevator Co.
which was operated by the Illinois
Central, cost 100000.
Apparently, no lives were lost in the
ff1e, though there were many narrow
earsF.a noe If those who ware anPapad in
fighting the flames, owing to it's rapid
spread, and lives we, e constantly en-
danger by debris of all kinds that was
whirled through the air. The escape
of two fire engines was cut off and
their crews had to run for their lives
Driver Charles Richardson, Of No. 6,
being painfully hurt.
The fire started in one Of the con-
veyors to elevator ID" 1t spread
with remarkable rapidity, sparks drop
ping into Oil barrels on the wharf and
replenishing the flames in every di
rection. Ten ships were lying at the
docks when 6he fire started and all eX
cept two escaped without damage. The
Indian, of the Leyden line, had her
rails, the cabin house, the masts wiped
clean off, and the Cycle was burned
about the prov and sides. All the
tugs in the harbor that had steam up
hurried to the scene when the fire
started, and by heroic efforts succeed
ed in putting the steamers into the
river out of reach of the flames.