St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-05-09
A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
Nearly a Million Dollars
Property Goes Up i'm
Flames i'm City.

| ing 14O111 q UlctLO WHICH DIOhO
out in the heart of the city and
wiped out two business houses,
entailing a loss of nearly $780,
10000, and for a time aspiring
to the total destruction of prop
erty running into the millions.
In this ambition the blaze was
abetted by malicious breeze,
which waited the embers for
blocks to the eastward and
threatened to spread the flames
like a fierce contagion.
Through hard work by the fire
department, however, the fire
was eventually brought to sub
lection, while the wind subsidized
sullenly, and an outbreak which
babe fair to develop into the
dignity of a confagration was
successfully extinguished. From
6:18 in the evening until we'll
into this morning the firemen
found all they could swing to,
and a brigade Of engines and
hose carts was retained on the
spot as long as a cinder smould-
cred.
At first starting in the top
floor of the building at No. TIA
Canal street, occupied by F. F.
Hansell & Bro, Ltd, the fire
spread downward through that
structure, devoured both the
shell and the contents, and then
gnawed it's way through to the
store to the eastward, occupied
by the H. B. Stevens Company,
Ltd, clothiers, at No. TO. To
the west stood the store Of the
Dreyfous Company, Ltd, and
this, too, paid tribute to the
element, while Cohn & Der, at
the corner OF Canal and st.
Charles streets, suffered from a
combination of smoke and
water.
Seldom has a more spectacular
blaze been seen in this section,
and the populace fiocked from
all sides to absorb it's wonders.
Notwithstanding the enormous
crowd and two or three untow-
ard occurrences, however, not a
life was lost, nor was anyone
seriously injured, although death
was near to a couple of firemen,
and a score of spectators were
threatened by the mad rush of
a hook and ladder truck, whose
horses appeared to have gotten
beyond the control of their
driver.
| For a minute that seemed
almost ages, the thousands of
onlookers stood spell-bound
while two fremen reeled with a
falling ladder and toppled tow
ard the sidewalk to seemingly
certain death. More than one
prayer was muttered in the
throng, and cheer upon cheer
went upward as both men alight-
ed safely on the banquette.
FURTHER DAMAGE.
\ Subdued for a few hours, the
flames from the Hansell fire
broke out afresh at $50 Thurs
/ day morning, in the Cordill
building, 1920 Canal street,
occupied by the Dreyfous Co.,
| Limited, as a retail dry goods
establishment, and before the
fire department could rally its
| forces, Wearied from the siren
uous labors of the night before,
the reinvigorated blaze gained
such terrible Roadway that it
seemed as if the entire block of
valuable commercial property
would be destroyed. The loss
will probably reach 1915, 600.
The Southern Hotel sends the
Farmer a very pretty pin tray
Of aluminium, with a photograph
, of the hotel on the inside of the
bottom. 1t makes a very neat
souvenir.
Senator McEnery paid a fine
} compliment to the Southern
Hotel during his stay there last
week, when he expressed a de.
sire, if he were able, to steal
t the cook and carry him off tc
{ Washington. The Senator was
] very much pleased with the
Southern, and expressed sur.
prise that Covington possessed
such a fine hotel.
A special came through Covingtor
4 last Wednesday, stopping for an houl
+ or two, carrying some very prominen
railroad officials Of the Illinois Contra
and Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Rail
roads. They were: Mr. Harahan, pres
ident of the c.; Mr. Hartman, gen
eral manager Mr. Baldwin. chief engi
Ineer; Mr. Gross, superintendent of tel
e egraphy; all Of Chicago, and Mr. King
5 general manager of the Y NV, o
} Memphis; Mr. Galroni, superintendent
e of Vicksburg.
Il AS is usual with railroad officials