The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana) 11 March 1868
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Loss Over $1,000,000
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Main Business Portion in Ashes
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We are indebted to Messars. Pearson & Pillsbury, auctioneers, Jefferson, Texas, for the Jimplecute Extra of March 1, giving the particulars of the late disastrous fire in that city, of which brief mention was made in the Picayune some days ago.
The fire, the origin of which is yet unknown, broke out in the rear of Rosenberg's confectionery, near the corner of Vale and Dallas streets, just at 11 o'clock, night of the 29th ult. The wind was high, so the fire had almost its own way. In a short time the flames enveloped the two adjoining houses, spread rapidly down the right side of Dallas street, crossed the street to H.B. Orton & Co.'s large biulding opposite, and down the left side of Dallas, destroying the two entire blocks clear to Levee street, where the brick building of Graham & Taylor stood the shock and stopped the flames in that direction. The right side of Dallas is burned clear to the levee.
On reaching the large building of Russell & Co., the flames crossed Austin street and destroyed the two frame buildings belonging to Mrs. Kinnear and J. Bruckmiller.
By desperate exertions the fire was kept from crossing Vale street and from the large warehouse of Bateman & Bro., where were stored large quantities of cotton and merchandise. As it is, says the Jimplecute, all the buisness porion of the city is destroyed, embracing four of the largest blocks and portions of others. Our contemporary's office was in great danger, and sustained damage to the amount of $500 to $600 in the scattering of materials. We hear the usual plaint after fire in country towns-- lac of a fire department. The Jimplecute gives special thanks to Gen. McLaughlen and his command, Capt. J.H. Kouns and his crew of the Era No. 8, and to the freedmen for their exertions to stay the flames. "The freedmen worked faithfully, whenever there was work to do, and many of them acted nobly in deed."
The Phoenix and AEtna Insurance Companies are the principal losers, so far a ascertained. Two thousand bales of cotton were burned.
The following parties, and others not reported, were losers by damage from water and loss in moving goods, in the sums of from $100 to $3000:
Alford, Williams & Co., Graham & Taylor, A.U. Wright & Co., Hooks & Bro, T.B. Goyne. Goldbert & Rosenthall, and M.J. Frankenthall. There were also lost goods to the amount of $10,000, which were on consignment and not reported in our statement.
The subjoined is a list of the sufferers, their losses and amount of insurance. Those marked with an * are estimated: the remainder, the correct figures (as near as possible) furnished by the sufferers themselves:
G.W. Logan, grocer, $8000 stock, insured to full value, saved none; E.B. Jones, dry goods and groceries, $35,000 stock, no insurance, none saved; R.A. Johnson, grocer $11,000 stock, no insurance, saved none; Robinson & Rawls, grocer, $5000 stock, no insurance, saved none; W.S. Duke, dry goods, $14,000 stock, no insurance, saved none; S. Heilbron, dry goods, $14,000 stock, insured probably $3000, saved none; J.C. Kolster, hardware, $15,000 stock, insured $10,500, saved none; Boney & Brooks, druggist, $30,000 stock, insured $10,000, saved none; H.O. Hyuson (?) & Co., dry goods and groceries, $30,000 stock, no insurance, saved unknown; J.W. & J.R. Russell & Co., groceries, $10,000 stock, insurance and saved unknown; M.D. Henigan & Bro, soda water manufactory, $6000 stock, insured $2000, saved unknown; J.M. Murphy & Co., dry good and groceries, $75,000 stock, insured $45,000, saved $3000; Pratt, Ward & Co., dry goods and groceries, $22,000 stock, insured none, saved $1500; H.B. Orton & Co., hides, peltries, etc., $8000 stock, insured none, saved $1000; Peter Stratton, broker 500 stock, no insurance, saved none; N.B. Bradford, dry goods and groceries, $5000 stock, no insurance, saved $300; Towers & Ussery, dry goods and groceries, $2000 stock, insured to full value, saved $500; Behrman & Hayman, confectioner and grocer, $4000 stock, no insurance, saved $500; J.P. Durr & Son, dry goods and groceries, $3000 stock, no insurance, saved none; Haywood, Zachary & co., dry goods and groceries, $20,000 stock, insured $10,000, saved none; J.H. Smith, confectioner, $300 stock, no insurance, saved $100; C.S. Bell, confectioner, no insurance, saved $300; Ballentyne & Noble, saloon, $3000 stock, no insurance, saved unknown; Hohnny Allen, news depot, $500 stock, no insurance, saved none; R.B. Howell, dry goods and groceries, $5000 stock, no insurance, saved none; Ney & Bro., dry goods, $18,000 stock, insured for $4000, saved none; C.M. Ohlson, baker and confectioner, $1500 stock, no insurance, saved none; *Bilger & McKimens, saddlery, $8000 stock, insurance and saved unknown; T.M. Turner, dry goods, $8000 stock, insurance and saved unknown; *P. Eldridge & Bro., dry goods $15,000 stock, insurance and saved unknown; *A.D. Tullis, auction and commission, $4000 stock, insurance and saved unknown; M. Steinlein, dry goods, $50,000 stock, $20,000 insurance, saved unknown; *Talbot & Patton, dry goods, $20,000 stock, insurance and saved unknown: *Biggs & Collins, druggist, $5000 stock, insurance and saved unknown; *Rufus Muse, tobacco dealer $2000 stock, insurance and saved unknown; *M.H. Hirshfield, dry goods and groceries, $12,000 stock, insurance and saved unknown; Scott & Allen, grocers, $4000 stock, insurance and saved unknown; *M. Dopplemeyer & Bro., dry goods, $40,000 stock, insurance unknown, saved $3400; *H. Alexander & Co., dry goods and groceries, $20,000 stock, insurance and saved unknown; *Goldberg & Bishop, family groceries, $8000 stock, insurance and saved unknown; H.A. Stealey & Co., eating house $1000 stock, no insurance, saved none; *J. Stern, dry goods and groceries, $30,000 stock, no insurance, none saved; *T. Thompson, dry goods, $4000 stock, insurance and saved unknown; Gus. Smith, freedman, barber, $150 stock, no insurance, saved none; Geo. A. Kelly, plow manufacturer, $1500 stock, no insurance, saved none; D.A. McPhail, watchmaker and jeweler, $1800 stock, no insurance, saved none; B. Rosenburg, confectioner, $1500 stock, no insurance, saved none. Total amount of stock, $595,250.
The following is a carefully prepared estimate of the amount of real estate lost and names of owners:
Several small tenements and one or two large ones, the woners of which we have not learned, and valued at $6000, was lost. The insurance on real estate is very small; probably not over one per cent on the total loss:
Pratt, Ward & Co., $3600; J. Sterne, $3600; W.J. Clark, $5000; H.B. Orton, $20,000; S. Nusbaum & Bro., $4000; John Robinson, $4000; Haywood, Zachary & Co., $3000; W.G. Rives, $6000; J.P. Durr & Son E. G. Benners, $3600; W.J. Caven $3400; Russell & Co., $30,000; Towers & Ursery, $3500; Charles M. Ohlson $1500; J. Bruckmiller, $3500; Mrs. J. A. Kinnear, $3500; C.G. Graham, $3000/ Ney & Bro., $5000; Talbott & Patton, $3500; Biggs & Collins, $3500; Henry Scott, $3500; R.P. Crump, $3500; J.A. Talbot, $3500; A.J. Nelson, $3500; F. Sonter, $350; J.C. Kolster $5000; Bilger & McKimens, $4000; Ephriam Terry $10,000; T.M. Turner $5000; Peter Walker, freedman, $1500; unknown, $6000; W. Perry, $3500; J.M. Murphy & Co., $8000; M. Dopplemeyer, $4000; Gus Smith, $300; R. Rosenburg, $500; W.P. Torrans, $10,000.
Total, $189,350; cotton $200,000; merchandise, $595,250; losses not in table, $22,000; total loss, $1,006,500.