Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 February 1892 — BURNED A BIG BLOCK. [ARTICLE]

BURNED A BIG BLOCK.

FIRE IN NEW ORLEANS’ BUSINESS CENTER. A Disastrous Blaze Breaks Out In a Re; tall Store and (Destroys Two Million Dollars’ Worth of Property—List of Principal Losers. Crescent City Flames. At New Orleans two millions of money went up in smoke the other night by the destruction of a large retail dry goods establishment in the city. The scene of the fire, says a dispatch, was in Canal street, the principal thoroughfare of the city, at the point where It is intersected by Bourbon. Schwartz’s establishment, a commanding structure and but recently completed, occupied the corner of Canal and Bourbon. It was afour-story building, with mansard roof—a brick, stone, and iron edifice, surmounted by a high clock tower. At 10:16 o’clock a waiter in Moreau’s restaurant, on ihe opposite side ofCanal street, perceived a small tongue of flame licking its way along the cornice of the roof and hastened to give tho alarm. The depi r.ment responded promptly, but experienced great difficulty in getting to work, and the whole edifice was ablaze before a stream could be brought to bear upon it. Tho flames spread backward to Kraus Bros.’ establishment and across Bourbon street to Clouverius’ drug store simultaneously, and the department found itself in a moment powerless to cope with the destroyer. A general alarm and then a repeated general alarm were sent in, and suburban engines were pressed into service. Backward the fire spread to Hoffman’s, to the left it attacked Werlein’s, and crash followed crash as the falling roofs overburdened the floors beneath, already laden with stocks of merchandise, and each gave way in turn until the interior fixtures of the stores and their contents were piled in a blazing heap on the ground.

On the opposite side of Bourbon street Clouverius’ building was the first to collapse, and it carried with it ihe walls of Dunkel’s establishment. McCloskey’s confectionery establishment was a mass of seething flame, and Kreger’s buildings were also burning fiercely. But the Nickel-Plate shoe store intervened to save the main entrance to D. H. Holmes’ immense establishment in Canal street, and that portion of the store was but little damaged. . Schwartz’s stock, valued at over $500,000, was insured for $363,000, and the building for $35,000, considerably below its value. Holmes’ stock was insured for twice as much, but the damage to it is not thought to be so great. Clouverius carried SB,OOO insurance on stock and tho others were insured in proportion. Every insurance company in the city has about an equal share of the loss. The risks have been divided. Most of the buildings were newly erected and considered separate and excellent risks. The individual losses, so far as they can be ascertained, are as follows: Lobs. Insurance Schwartz & Sons 11500,GC3 §366,000 Benevolent and Protective Order of £.lks.., 15,000 W. T. Cl Oliver! uy 8,000 8,000 Wenger’s Garden 60,000 -40,000 D. H. Homes 25.0C0 600,000 Mme. Goddard 1,000 10,000 Mme. Godin 3,000 3,000 J. M. Hoffman 17,000 15,000 John Curry 163 8. G. Cregler 20,000 16,300 John MoCloskey 10,000 0,000 Franz Bros 40,000 20,000 Philip Werlein 75,000 60,000 The buildings destroyed collectively are estimated to be worth fully a quarter of a million, while many other buildings were badly damaged, as well as their contents, and not included in the above estimated loss.