The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-27
S5,OO0,OO0 new ORLEANS FIRE
THI STT IEStNT U0CkS tND
TERHIN RTRNED.

/ lpatVN VI boUV'O huNUPls
81 Grain, Three Elevators Destroyed
Illinois Central Railroads. Great
Plant Wiped OutI2 Vessels Saved.
NEw ORLEANS Feb. 20 The worst fire
ever known in New Orleans, entaiing loss
in excess Of S. 900 600, started this evening
At the docks and wharves Of the Illinois
Central Railroad. known es the Stuyvesant
Docks and occupying nearly a mile front on
the Mississippi River, in the very centre II
the city
The dock were built six years ago and
named in honor Of Stuyyesant Fish presi-
dent Of tho Illinois Central They were
the finest freight terminals in tho South.
and handled more than half the grain trade
of New Orleans and nearly half the total
commerce Of the port. The loss is confined
almost wholly TO the railroad and the freight
in is warchouses awaiting shipment TO
Europe
The fire began near the o1ton va rehousc
where conveyers carried the grain 10 the
the steamers lying at the wharves. These
conveyers should have been inspected
every few hours but it ia supp osed that, it
being Sunday the inspection was neglected
A conveysr caught fire from friction. II
was tiny fire at first. but the wor kmen
had TO cut through some plank ng. and by
the time they got AZ them the flames were
beyond their power to eItingtsh
From this part of the dock he fire spread
4. 4
of cotton we're stored strong breeze
was blowing from the south and famed the
flames into a whirlwind. CARRYING the blaz-
ing tufts of cotton high in the air. 4 gem
eral alarm had been sounded and the entire
fire department was soon on the scene. but
il could accomplish very little beyond
keeping the neghboring buildings wet to
prevent their igniting from the heat
Two engines were placed Immediately
behind the cotton yards, playing on the
neghboring sheds when sudden change
in the wind drove the flames in their direc.
ton. The men AZ the gines fed, escaping
with two seriously burned but the engines
We're completely destroyed.
Desperate efforts were made TO save
the two elevators Of the Illinois Central
Railroad u and F.. in which were stored
large quantity Of grain and which we're
under contract to handle 10000 carloads
Of corn in the next ten days II was corn
diverted from atlantic ports to New Or
leans. and over which some Of the New
York exchanges have recently been so
excited. The heat finally became so in
tense that a O'Clock elevator ID was in
flames and within thirty minutes was de-
stroyed
Elevator + did not catch fire until 0 o'clock
and it took over an hour to consume II.
At 10 o'clock the fire extended along the
entire front Of the Stuyvesant docks being
visible from every part Of New Orleans.
while sparks fell half mile away and the
immense iron plates Of the warehouses were
carried up in the air, falling four and five
squares away.
Twelve vessels were lying at the docks
loading when the fire started Either
through their own steam or by the use of
tugs they were rescued and conveyed out
Of the reach Of the flames Two vessels
caught fire and were badly burned the
worst sufferer being the steamship Indian
Of the Leyland Line. which suffered loss
of SEQ 900.
on the city side. the flames, which rose
y
the strong breeze. set fire to several cot
tages and shacks, largely owned by ne
groes working at the dock. and some fifty or
sixty Of these on Water. Tchoupitoulas
Aline. Fouchcr and Annunciation streets
We're burned.
The fire department found il hard work
to prevent the flames from spreading and
confined is operations largely ~ extin-
gushing the fires caused by sparks which
fell in showers for squares back,
The Illinois Central had it, yard engines
at work and nearly all its cars loading or
unloading at the docks were got out of the
way. There were between 500 and COO
there all Of which except about seventy
five were saved
At II O'Clock the fire had completely
burned iteelf out, but only by destroying
everything in it's path
The entire Stuyvesant docks were con-
-umed with the elevators, - 900 bales OF
cotton 10000 bushels Of grain and other
freight of all kinds and seventy-fve cars.
The fire IS likely to cause serious Interior
ence with the business OF the Illinois Central
at this port
CARRIED IT'S owE FIRF RISK.
The Illinois Central carried IL own fire
risk and had II is understood SO 600 oo0 in
its sinking fund to the credit Of It's fire fund
The loss is almost complete. The docks
with yards covered nearly fifty acres Of
ground. Officials Of the railroad say that
II will take the railroad nearly year 10
restore its terminal facilities.
No NOTCHES on "BIT'S" GUNP