The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1905-03-02
S,OO0,OOO FIRE IN
new ORLEANS
FLAMES Swept Twelve Squares OF
River Front
sl,5oO,ooo FIRE AT Rot SPRINGS

New Orleans, Feb. 27.-Fire involv-
ing millions of dollars loss in physical
property, and that strikes a serious, II
temporary, blow at the immense ex-
port trade Of New Orleans, swept the
river front and wiped out the vast
freight terminals of the Illinois Cen.
tral, known as the Stuyvesant Docks
Nearly dozen squares of modern
wharVes and freight sheds, two mag
nificent grain elevators, hundreds Of
loaded cars and vast quantities Of
freight, including 10000 ba.es of cot
ton. were destroyed, together with q
large number of small residences The
hre was still raging furiously this
morning and 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 firemen and employees of
the docks were injured. Actual esti-
mates Of the losses are impossible,
though they may exceed $5.OOO,OOO.
The Stuyvesant Docks extend from
Louisiana avenue almost to Napoleon
avenue, e distance of IL squares. The
wharves between these two points
were covered with miles of trackage.
and steel and iron sheds ran the en-
tire distance.
The two grain elevators were of the
most modern construction, the upper
one having capacity of a million
bushels. Thousands of bales Of cotton
several hundred thousand packages of
sugar. great quantities of cotton seed
oil and oil cake, lumber and every con-
ceivable variety of freight filled tho
warehouses and sheds. Practically all
the export business handled by the
Illinois Central was put aboard ships
at these docks.
The fire is said to have resulted from
a journal that had not been sufficiently
oiled. The whole plant was equipped
with gigantic water tanks and fire ex-
tinguishing apparatus, but the blaze,
small at the beginning, almost in.
stantly got beyond control, communi-
eating through the conveyors to the
lower elevator and some of the sheds.
The response of the fire department
was prompt, but owing to the fact
that the terminals were not readily ac-
cessible, because of fences and tracks,
the engines found great difficulty in
reaching the flames. In half an hour
the fire covered two squares, the lower
elevator was practically consume !,
and the fire was sweeping with IRE
sistible fury both up and down the
river
Fortunately Louisiana avenue is
very broad thoroughfare, and the
further spread of the fire beyond that
point into a residence section was
checked. Between the points named.
however, the flames swept to com
plete destruction many cottages of
the poorer classes, the occupants in a
great many instances losing all they
possessed.
The river boats, the employees of the
road and the fire department cOncen-
:rated all their energies in an effort
to save the upper elevator between
Auestrlitz and Constantinople streets
and to check the fire at the point. The
fire, however, gradually worked past
the point occupied by the elevator.
Heroically the forces kept at work,
but ultimately they were beaten, and
the big steel structure, covered with
corrugated iron, suddenly burst into
flame, and in half an hour was a COM
plete wreck
During the fire heavy wind blew,
and the blaze was of indescribable
fury. carrying brands to great dis
tances, driving back the crowds OF
sightseers.