Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1860-04-06
Destructive Fire.

On Tuesday night last, between eleven and twelve
o'clock our citizens were startled by that ter
ribe cry Of FIRE, and it asyertaned that
the large new tobacco-stemery belonging to our
townsman +. r. w. Thomas, was burning. The
night was dark, and pretty high wind prevailed,
and these circumstances together with those Of the
building being a framed one, and filed with dry to-
bacco, and being so distant from the thickly set
tied part Of the town, gave the fire SUCH immense
Roadway, before any efforts could be made to sub
due it, that all hope of saving the building was soon
abandoned. The building was five story framed
one, Of great capacity built but little more than
year ago for the Understanding business, at a
cost of about $4,000. The whole structure was
soon enveloped in flames, and in short time the
fr extended 10 large framed warehouse, belong
ing to Mr.. Larkin Bradley, used to store tobacco in
and which contained, at the time, large number
of hogsheads Of the weed. The burning of the
two buildings presented an awfully sublime specta-
Gle. The devourng flames seemed 10 reach to the
dark clouds above them Illuminating the whole
heavens and the earth for miles around; while the
swift winds bore away over the threatened city,
innumerable pieces of burning wood, and myrads
Of flashing sparks Of fire. A large number Of
buildings some nearly mile off were thus set on
fire, but were fortunately in nearly all cases saved
Two new framed dwelling houses, just completed,
and belonging to Messrs S. A. l. J. a. Bates, about
one hundred yards from Mr.. Thomas were entire
ly consumed. They were valued ct about $4,000,
aud insured for $780, Mr.. Bradleys warehouse
was valued, we believe, Stsobout 81 600, and was
totally destroyed. There was no insurance it.
The tobacco in it was nearly all removed, only few
hogshcads of stems, haf-adozen pcrhaps--being
lost We do not know whether they were insured
or not, but presume that they were. His splendid
brick stemmery little further oil, fortunately
to wiudward of the fire. aud thus escaped Had
tile wind been blowing towards it, it must neyita-
bly,, have gone. Mr.. II. R. Durnley had begun the
erection of house near by, and lost about $3.50
worth Of lumber; and negro of Mr.. Bell who had
come in late that evening, TO deliver load OF loose
Tobacco TO Mr. Thomas, and had left his loaded
wagon and his mules, standing in the factory-yard,
had the wagon and its contents totally consumed by
the fire. The mules were barely saved and the
negro himself had very narrow escape. lie had
gone asleep in the factory, aud got out only after
pretty severe scorching.
Asto Mr. Thomss's loss we have Leard il yari-
ousiy estimated. The factory valued at $4,000,
was full of Tobacco the amount being between.
100000 and 100000 pounds This Tobacco, to-
gethcr with the fixtures aud implements in the fac
tory, my be valued, we reckon, at $4,000, at
least making the total loss $4,000, There was
9n3urunce on the building and contents to the amount
of 500 600. This would leave bis actual loss S26,-
600, according TO this estimate.
Mr. Thomas has been in the business nearly two
years, and although he has prosecuted it with great
industry aud energy, it has not, during that time,
been profitable, We believe, to him any other OPP
orators; and now to have added to two years Of
proitless hard labor, this heavy loss seems indeed
very.hari. He has we are sure the heartfelt SYM
pathy OF every generous minded person in the COM
nIunity, in this heavy misfortune.
We must not omit TO state that our fire compa-
nie5 were early At the of the fre, and did all
they could, but the healway the fire had AMI the
high wind, rendered their efforts irutless. There
is very little doubt that this cohlagration was the
work of some deviliSh incendiary, since no fire had
bseu used in the factory for several days.