The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1905-03-02
FIERCE FLAMES SWEEP DONS'
New Orleans Suffers Five Million Dollar Loss
By Rayaging Flames

rushed to the wharves and hundreds
OF box cars loaded with freight were
Drawn to points above the upper end
OF the terminals before the fire reach
ed them. Many hundreds more, how
ever, were consumed
The wind was blowing down the
river and the blaze s7read with great
speed in that direction BY 8 o'clock
the lower elevator and sheds and
Wharyes from Amelia street % Louis
ana avenue, a distance of six squares
had fallen in. Fortunately, Louisiana
avenue is a very broad thOroughfare
and the further spread of the fire be-
yond that point into a residence sec
uon was checked. Between those
points. however. the flames swept to
complete destruction many cottages of
the poorer classes, the occupants in a
great many instances losing all they
possessed. With the wind in a favor
able direction, the river boats, the
able direction, the river boats, the en-
ployes of the road and the fire depart
ment concentrated all their energies
in an effort to save the upper elevator
between AusterlitZ and ConstantinOple
streets and to check the fire at that
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 flames at 1890 and in half
hour was complete wreck.
BLAZE OF TERRIFIC FURY.
At midnight more than nine squares
of the terminals had been completely
destroyed, and it seemed unlikely that
the fire would be checked until it
reached Napoleon avenue, which also
is very broad street. During the fire
a heavy wind blew, and the blaze was
of indescribable fury. carrying brands
to great distances, driving back the
crowds of sight-seerS. immense pieces
of corrugated iron, torn from the sides
of the upper elevator were carried
through the air as if they were feathers,
and. dropping in every direction, coI-
stantly endangered the lives of fire.
men and spectators.
The weather was bright and warm,
$4,000 people visited the scene during
the progress CT the fire. Aside from
the tremendous loss involved in the
destruction of property, the fire is a
calamity to New Orleans in the tenn
pOrary abatement OF the immense eX-
port business of the Illinois Central,
partly in the matter Of grain ship
mentS.
Later Estimates.
New Orleans, Specia1.-COmplete
figures of the loss involved, in the de-
struction Of the Stuyvesant docks OF
the Illinois Central Railroad, it was
announced by local officers of the COM
rany Monday, will not be available
until an inspection Of the books OF
the docks Is finished. Fortunately al
these were saved. Local Freight Agent
Cousins and his office force went tc
work on them, and Mr.. Cousins an
nounced that it might be possible by
Tuesday to give the result. The value
of the wharves, sheds, warehouses
elevators and trackage is known rough
ly, but the number of cars and the
quantity of merchandise destroyed can
not be given until the inspection Is
concluded In the meantime, estimates
of the losses vary between Superlnten-
dent Dunn's figures of s3,000.OO0. and
General Agent Perkins aggregate OF
S., 900 900.