St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-04-30
LAKE CHARLES SWEPT
BY DISASTROUS FIRE
Seven Blocks In Center Of City Burn Last
Saturday In About Three hours.
A MILLION DOLLAR LOSS
iOg Buildings Burned, and Many People Left
Homeless. ..Stlff Gale Made Flames
unCOntrOllabIa.
CharIes American Presa.

Lake OAaEIeS Amerfcan-PF9Ss.
Heaps of charred boards, scorched
f%rameWorks, tottering chimneys and
walls and tangled wires, illumined by
Pickering flames marked the spot last
night where ait 8 o'clock 100 build
ings occupying seven city blocks,
formed part Of the fairest section Of
Lake Charles. Originating in a nest
of frame buildings, on Ryan street
between Puio and North Court streets,
constituting what remained Of Lake
Charles first buildings, an uncon-
trollable fire swept south and east for
three hours until it was checked
partly By lack Of material and partly
by the superhuman exertion Of the
fire department and its volunteer aids.
Revised estimates by the insurance
men late last night showed 100 build
ings destroyed with an approximate
loss Of $4,000 to $4,000, partly
covered BY Insurance of from $780,
600 30 $,3Q0.000.
The heaviest losses were to public
and church property. The Calcasieu
court house, the Lake Charles city
hall and fire station No /, constitute
one-fourth Of the losses. The Catho-
lie church property on the south half
Of the block bounded by Ryan, Kirby,
Bilbo and Pnjo, was entirely destroy
ed, with q loss of STE, 1000. The
Christian church congregation lost all
Of it's property. Two hotels, several
boarding houses and about thirty BUSH
ness buildings and sixty residences
were consumed to ashes.
The fire was one which had long
been foreseen in Lake Charles, but
which could not have been prevented
or guarded against. The old heart
pine buildings in which It started,
covered the surrounding property
with a paIE-Iike darkest midnight and
created a heat that could not be with
stood. The fremen and the citizens
VINO came to their assistance courted
death d score of times at a dozen
different points to stay the flames,
but it is doubtful if any number of
men or any amount of equipment
would have been Of great avail. The
fire simply burned until the buildings
became scattered enough to give the
fire fighters a chance to make any
Roadway; and this was at a point over
a hall mile from its origin.
The scene in the residence section
was pitiable. Ladies who viewed the
fire seemingly at a safe distance sud
denly awoke to the danger, scarcely
in time to save anything. The men
Of the household were in many cases
down town fighting the fire without
realizing the danger to their own
homes. But in the face Of danger
every one. becomes a helper, ana
much more Of the household goods
were saved than appeared possible.
Along Kirby street which at one time
appeared doomed for its entire length,
many Of the houses were stripped of
their furnish ngs until the wind shift
Ell and the danger past.
The FIRE cut a diagonal pathway
through Che city from northwest to
southeast, having it's base on Ryan
from the Rock buildings to G. M.
Richa d's residence. At first the
flames travelled straight east; then
the wind yeered and they cut a strip
southeast through to Common. when
The Catholic cemetery proved d bar
rier. which they overleapt only in one
INSTANT. Sparks destroyed the home
Of Mrs. Reynolds at the corner Of
and Clarence, two blocks
dis ant.
AS soon as the appalling extent Of
Lake Charles misfortune became
sfpswn, kilograms of sympathy and
ufers Of aid began pouring IN. Homes
ii people who escaped damage by
fire were thruwa open to less fortn-
aat citizens. Owners of warehouses;
buildings only partly occupied
hurried ia the front with offers of
fre storage and guards we're thrown
aaaaS the devastated district to pro-
tact exposed property.
Insurance companies were notifeda
al Eha es hg their local agents
IseF nTUhf and ad141stFrs ara pSDnrta8 /