River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-03-02
| RIVER FRONT IS
SWEPT BY FLAMES
FREIGHT TERMINALS AT NEW
ORLEANS, VALUED AT MIL
LIONS, DESTROYED.
OVER TEN BLOCKS
OF WHARVES BURNED
Property Mostly That of Illinois Cen
trail Railway Company-Blaze Laid
to Spontaneous Combustion - Nc
Lives Lost.

| 1AetA ANSNAA"c ny kOlu PohS ~NN-AS
to Spontaneous Combustion - Nc
Lives Lost.
New Orleans. Feb. 28.-Property
valued at from 100000 TO $5,000,000
extending along the river front from
Louisiana avenue to Napoleon avenue
has been destroyed by great fire
which broke out Sunday night at eighi
O'Clock. 1t was still burning Monday
morning but beyond power to do fur
! Their damage. The buildings now II
ruins are largely composed OF the i'm
mense export terminals of the Illinois
Central railway Among the property
destroyed are so acres of the most mod
ern wharves and freightsheds in Amer.
lea and the buildings destroyed extend
a mile along the river front. Other
property burned included two mag
nifcent grain elevators, hundreds OF
loaded cars and vast quantities OF
freight, including 10000 bales of cot
ton.
No Lives Lost.
Apparently no lives were lost in the
| fire, though there were many narrow
escapes of those who were engaged in
| fighting the flames, owing to its rapiC
| spread, and lives were constantly en-
dangered by debris of all kinds that
was whirled through the air. The eS-
cape of two fire engines was cut of
and their crews had to run for thei1
lives. The injured are: Charles Rich
ardson, driver engine No. G.. anC
George B. Anthony, laborer.
Ten Blocks of Wharves Go.
The wharves covered ALSO feet, over
a distance of ten blocks. Of this
wharfage $500 feet and what it con.
tanned was destroyed. the remainder
at the upper end of the terminals be-
! ing saved, through the fact that the
wind blew strongly in the opposite
| direction.
| The destroyed wharfage cost $780,
| 600; two elevators, old and new, ware
| houses, wharf sheds Nos. l to s and
| part of No. 9, new free on board cot
ton warehouse, $2,500,000; cotton de-
stroyed, $4,000 bales, 100000; 100000
bushels of grain, $385,000; $4,000 bar
rels of sugar, 100000; cotton-seed
cake, 1870 carloads, $97.500; lumber
$16,625; cement, $56,250; meal, 20
cars, $4,000; sundries, $150,O00; 500
freight cars, 1915 600; ships damaged,
$4,000 city fire department, two en-
gines and four horses, $4,000; private
property and other damage, $4,000.
1t is estimated that the insurance
on stored freight will approximate
81 100000. The railroad company car
ried it's own insurance and the con-
tents of the various elevators and
sheds were insured in local and for
eign agencies.
Fire Starts in Elevator D.
The fire started in the conveyors to
elevator D. 1t spread with remark
able rapidity, sparks dropping into oil
barrels 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
without damage The Indian, of the
Leland line, had her rails, cabin house
and 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 succeeded in pulling the steam
ers into the river out of reach of the
flames.
Combustion Thought Spontaneous.
Superintendent O. NJ 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 passed the
night in wire communication with Of
ficials east and west and in settling
the lines for clearing the wreckage
away. He said it was probable that
the piers, elevators and sheds could
be restored within a year and that
they would be made more extensive
and substantial than those destroyed.
Mr.. Dunn said in his opinion the fire
originated from spontaneous combus-
ton.
Meanwhile officials of the Illinois
Central road are engaged in he for
mutation 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.
Other Property Destroyed.
In addition to the railroad property
the fire destroyed the Crescent Ice
company plant, many small stores and
a large number of small residences,
and many pathetic scenes were wit
messed as the poor occupants of them
struggled to save their small belong
ings at the risk of their lives. The
fire will temporarily throw out of
work a large number of employees, but
this loss will be compensated by the
fact that a much larger number will
be employed in the course of few
days in clearing away the debris and
reconstructing the terminals at the
highest attainable speed.
The docks, known as the Stuyvesant
wharves, and other river front i'm
provements have been under cCnstruc-
ton for ten years past, elaborate ex-
tensions and immense investments
having been made after the constitu-
81