*New Orleans Times-Picayune,* September 6:

Specialists working for the New Orleans Notorial Archives have been stymied 
in trying to enter the city and rescue some of the most historic documents 
in the city's history, from original land grants to slave sale records and 
title records. The Notorial Archives hired Munters Corp., a Swedish 
document-salvage firm that freezes and then freeze-dries records to slowly 
remove moisture from them. But Munters's refrigerated trucks were turned 
away by uniformed troops as they tried to enter the city, said Stephen 
Bruno, custodian of the archives. The trucks were headed to the Civil 
District Courthouse on Poydras Street, where many of the city's real estate 
documents are housed, and to the Amoco building at 1340 Poydras St., which 
houses historic documents such as a letter from Jean Lafitte to Washington 
demanding for his expenditures during the Battle of New Orleans. Eddy 
Pokluda, head of national sales for Munters in Dallas, said the company 
tried to get one person in to make an assessment of the damage but was 
turned away, even though days earlier they had arranged with New Orleans 
Police Department to have an escort into the city.

"I don't think people realize the importance of these records. It's 
imperative we get in there and see if these can be saved," Pokluda said.


-- 
Larry Medina
Danville, CA
RIM Professional since 1972

List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance