Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1905-03-03
new ORLEANS fire
PROPERTY Loss AMOUNTS TO
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
Twelve Squares of Stuyvesant Docks
Along the River Front and Vas,
Freight Terminals of Illinois Gen.
trail Wiped Out-Hundreds of Load.
ed Cars Burned.

New Orleans, Feb. 27.-Fire involv
ing millions of dollars loss in property
and that strikes a serious temporary
blow at the export trade of New Or
leans, swept the river front Sunday
night and wiped out the vast freight
terminals of the Illinois Central
known as the Stuyvesant docks. Near
ly dozen squares of modern wharves
and freight sheds, two magnificent
grain elevators, hundreds of loaded
cars and vast quantities of freight, in
GLIDING 10000 bales of cotton. were
destroyed together with large num-
Der of small residences. 1t has not
been determined whether there has
been any loss of life. The ocean 60
ing shipping seems to have escaped
serious damage. A number of firemen
and employees of the docks were in
jured. Actual estimates of the losses
are impossible to obtain, though they
may exceed $5,000,000.
The Stuyvesant docks extend from
avenue, distance of IL squares. The
wharves between these two points
were covered with miles of trackage
and a steel and iron shed ran the
whole distance.
Great Quantity of Merchandise.
The two grain elevators were of the
most modern construction, the upper
one having a capacity of 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
conceivable variety of freight filled
the warehouses and sheds. Practical
ly all the export business handled by
the Illinois Central was put aboard
ship at these docks.
Start Of confIasration.
The fire was discovered shortly af-
ter o'clock. 1t was said to have re-
suited from a journal that had been
insutiiciently oiled. The blaze, small
at the beginning, almost instantane-
ously got beyond control of the wharf
fire fighting apparatus, communicate
ing quickly to the elevators and some
of the Sheds The response of the fire
department was prampt, but owing to
the fact that the terminals were not
readily accessible because of fences
and tracks the engines found difficulty
in reaching the flames.
Famed by the Wind.
The wind was blowing down the
river as the blaze widened, and the
fire spread rapidly in every direction.
By 9 O'Clock the lower elevator and
sheds and wharves from Amelia street
to Louisiana avenue, distance of six
squares, had fallen in. Fortunately,
Louisiana avenue is very broad
thoroughfare. and the further spread
of the fire beyond that point into a
residence section was checked. Be-
tween the points named, however, the
flames swept to complete destruction
many cottages of the poorer classes,
the occupants in many instances los.
ing all they possessed.
Nine Squares Destroyed.
At midnight more than nine squares
of the terminal had been completely
destroyed, and it seemed unlikely that
the fire would be checked until it had
reached Napoleon avenue, which also
is a very broad street. During the fire
heavy wind blew, and the blaze was
Of indescribable fury, carrying brand.
to great distances, driving back the
crowds of sightseers. Immense piece.
of corrugated iron, torn from the side.
of the upper elevators. were carried
through the air as if they were feath
ers and dropping in every direction
constantly endangering the lives O
firemen and spectators
The weather was bright and warm
and nearly $4,000 people visited tn,
scene during the progress of the fire
Aside from the tremendous fnancia
loss involved, the fire is a calamity t.
New Orleans in the temporary abate
ment of the immense export bushes
of the Illinois Central. particularly il
the matter of grain shipments.