Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1905-03-01
$4,000. 900 FIRE. NEW ORLEANS.

Strikes q serious, II temporary blow
at the immense export trade Of New
Orleans, swept the river front Sunday
night and wiped ont the vast freight
terminals Of the Illinois Central, known
az the S~tuyvesant docks. Nearly a
dozen squares of modern wharPes aud
freight sheds, two magnificent grain
elevators, hundreds Of loaded cars and
vast quantities of freight, including
10000 bales Of cotton, were destroyed,
together with a large number Of small
residences. The fire was still raging
furiously Monday morning, at which
time IL had almost reached the upper
end of the Illinois Central property.
1t has not been determined whether
there has been any loss of life. The
ocean-going shipping seems to have
escaped serious damage. A number
Of hremen and employees Of the docks
were injured. Actual estimates of the
losses are impossible, though they may
exceed $4,000, 900.
The Stuyvesant docks extended from
Louisiana Avenue almost to Napoleon
Avenue, a distance of twelve squares.
The wharves between these two points
were covered with miles Of trackage,
and steel and iron sheds ran the whole
distance, The two grain elevators
were OF the most modern construction,
the upper n having a capacity of a
million bushels.
Thousands of bales Of cotton, several
hundred thousand packages of sugar,
great quantities of cottonseed oil and
oil cake, lumber and every conceiv-
BILE variety of freight filed the ware
houses and sheds. Practically all the
export business handled by the Illinois
Central vas put aboard ships at the
docks. The docks and improvements
have been under construction for ten
years, elaborate extensions and i'm.
mense investments having been made
after the constitutional convention
of 1898 made it possible for the road to
invest permanently at this point.
The fire was discovered shortly after
Z O'Clock. It was said to have results
ed from a journal that had not been
sufficiently oiled, The whole plant
was equipped with gigantic water
tanks and fire extinguishing appara.
tus, but the blaze, small at the begin
ming, simultaneously got beyond
control, communicating through the
.conveyers to the lower elevator and
some of the sheds. The response of
The fire department WAS prompt, but
owing 10 the fact that the terminals
inaccessible owing to fences and
the engines found difficulty IN
resching the flames. In half an hour
The Ere covered two squares, the lower
was practically consumed and
It was sweeping with irresistible fury
both up and down the river.
AS 500A 90 ~ 0C1@uG AuuW0 euab buE
scene of the FIRE was the Stuyvesant
locks, harbor tugs fastened to the
vharves, and vessels that were moored
were pulled out into the river.
At the same time switch engines
rushed to the wharves and nun
ireds of box cars loaded with freight
we're drawn to points above the upper
md OF the terminals before the fire
reached them, Many hundred more,
however, were consumed.
The wind vas blowing down the
liver when the blaze began and the
Ire spread with greater speed in that
direction By 0 o'clock the lower
elevator and sheds and wharves from
Amelia Street to Louisiana Avenue, 3
distance Of Elk squares, had fallen in.
Fortunately Louisiana Avenue is q
very broard thoroughiare, and the
spread Of the fire beyond that
point into q residence section was
checked. Between these points, how
over, the flames swept to complete
destruction many cottages of the poor
sr classes, the occupants in 3 great
many instances losing all they pos
sessed.
With the wind in q favorable dlrec-
ton, the river boats, the employees OF
the road and the fire department. con-
centrated all their energies in an effort
to save the upper elevator, between
AusterIibe and Constantinople Streets
and to check the fire ct that point.
The fire, however, gradually worked
past the point occupied by the eleva-
tor. HerOlcally, the forces kept at
work, but ultimately they were beaten,
and the big steel structure, covered
with corrugated iron. suddenly burst
into flames at 1880, and In half an
hour was q complete wreck.
At midnight more than nine squares
Of the terminals had been completely
destroyed.