Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-03-01
BIC FIRE IN NEW ORLEANS.
Docks and Elevators of Illinois
Central Road Destroyed.
LOSS IS FIVE MILLIONS.
Many People Homeless and Destitute as
Result of Fire-Great Area
Burned Over.

; New Orleans, La, Feb. 27.-With the
fire that destroyed it's immense export ter
minals still burning, though beyond the
power to do further damage, the Lib
nois Central railroad announces that as
soon as the ruins cool forces will be put
to work to clear away the debris, and
Stuyvesant Fish docks and elevators
will be promptly rebuilt on more elabo-
rate and substantial scale than before.
Meantime the officials of the road are to-
day engaged in the formulation OF plans
that will enable them to handle the trat-
tic now on it's way here from the west
and to avoid any material diversion or
freight from this city.
Loss Is Five Millions.
Conservative estimates figure the i'm
mediate loss by the fire at So, OOO,OO dl-
vided as follows:
Two elevators warehouses, sheds eds, s., 50 o.
bushels grain, $3.50, 700; $1,000 barrels sugar,
100000; cotton seed cake, $50 carloads,
$97, 800; lumber, $16625; cement, 500, 25O;
meal, twenty cars, 1000; sundries, $780,
600; 500 freight cars, 1915, 600; ships dam
aged, $4,000; city fire department, two en-
gines AMI six horses, $4,000; private prop
erty and other damage, $4,000
Plainly of Insurance.
The railroad company carried its own
insurance and the contents Of the various
elevators and sheds were insured in local
and foreign agencies.
The wharveS covered 1850 feet, over
a distance of ten blocks. Of this wharf
age $500 feet and what it contained was
destroyed, the remainder at the upper
end of the terminals being saved through
| the fact that the wind blew strongly in
the opposite direction. The destroyed
wharf cost 100000. Elevator D.,
leased to Harris, Scott & Co. of Chicago,
cost $4,000 when built. and Elevator
| p, which was operated by the Illinois
Central, cost 100000.
Many Narrow Escapes.
Apparently no lives were lost in the
| ire, though there were many narrow es-
| capes of those who were engaged in
hghtlng the flames, owing to its rapid
spread, and lives were constantly endan-
gered by debris of all kinds that was
whlrled through the air. The escape Of
two ire engines was cut off and their
crews had to run for their lives Driver
Charles Richardson of No. 6 being pain
| fully hurt
The fire started in the conveyers to ele-
vator D. 1t spread with remarkable
rapidly, sparks dropping into oil bar
rels on the wharf and extending the
flames in every direction. Ten ships
were lying at the docks when the fire
started, and all except two escaped with
! out damage. The Indian Of the Leland
line had her rails, cabin house, masts,
ETC., wiped clean off and the Cycle was
burned about the sides. All the vessels
that had steam up hurried to the scene
when the fire started and by heroic eff
forts succeeded in pulling the steamers
out Of reach of the flames.
Will Take Year to Rebuild.
Supt. Dunn directed the forces of the
railroad company for several hours and
| when the fire was under control went to
| the office Of the company, where he
spent the night in wire communication
with officials east and west and in set
| thing the lines for clearing the wreckage
away. He said that it was probable that
the piers, elevators and sheds could be
| restored within a year and that they
would be more extensive and substantial
than those destroyed. Mr.. Dunn said
that, in his opinion, the fire originated
| from spontaneous combustion.
Throughout the night and today many
messages passed between the local Off
GERS and the head officers of the company
in New York and Chicago and arrange
| ments were set on foot to take care Of
the traffic nov en- route and to provide
| for handling the export and import trade
Of the company until the docks are re-
built. The Texas & Pacific has an i'm
mense elevator at Westwego and there
is also an elevator at Chalmette, the
property Of the Frisco. General Man
ager Preston of the latter road imme-
diately rendered the use Of the Chal-
mette property to the Illinois Central.
and it is probable that the traffic will
be handled to that point.
Many Pathetic Scenes.
In addition to the railroad property.
the fire destroyed the Crescent Ice com
| pany's plant, many small stores and q
large number of small residences and
many pathetic scenes were witnessed as
the poor occupants of them struggled to
save their small belongings at the risk
of their lives.
The fire will temporarily throw out of
work large number Of employees. but
this loss will be compensated for bv the
very much larger number that will
be employed in the course of few DAYS
in clearing the debris and reconstructino
the terminals at the highest attainabl e
speed.