Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-11-28
LIVERY srABLn RuRNED.
John Minchin's Livery Stable, together
with twenty-five Horses and
Mules, Burned.
supposed 40 be the Work Of an Ineen,
diary - A Valuable Hack De-
stroyeo-Names OF Los
ers, Etc.

At four o'clock yesterday morning
MT. John Minchin's livery stable, No
iSl Monroe street, with twenty-five
horses and mules, was consumed by fire
The flames were discovered by the
Waterman at Walker & Wendel's cot
ton-shed, just opposite, and the alarm
OF fire Immediately given. The watch
man at once let on a stream Of water
from the hose pipe used in the cotton
shed, and succeeded in checking the
flames until the arrival Of Chief M Fad
den and his fire department, which at
once went to work and saved the adj
joining buildings from destruction. The
stable had brick walls and tin ROOT, and
when the flames were discovered 1t was
too late 10 rescue the horses and mules
within. The large doors were securely
fastened on the inside, and could not be
forced open until the entire contents OF
the stable, consisting Of hay, corn, ETC.,
and the stables, were enveloped in
flames. Owing to the combustible ma
terial OF the interior building, the flames
few minutes the stable, with the
valuable property, was one great fire of
destruction and death, twenty-five
horses and mules being literally roasted
alive. The flames, however, were soon
subdued by the streams OF water from
the fire-engines, and the adjoining prop
sTty thereby saved from ruin. Yester-
day morning large number of persons
visited the place, to look upon the ruin
wrought. A sickenfng spectacle indeed
was presented, for strswn along the en-
tire length of the stable were the
charred eRrcRsses of the horses and mules,
In some instances not only was the
hide and flesh burned, but even the
bones of the animals were eaten half up
by the voraeious flames. Persons who
CHANGED to witness the fire say that the
horses could be heard jumping about
and neighing as if invoking aid. When
the doors were forced open, three horses
with their names and tales ablaZe tried
to rush out; two fell dying and envel-
oped in the flames at the doorway,
while the third went at full flight down
DeSOto street to Linden where it fell
and soon died. Its hair had all been
burned off by the flames and portions of
the body were crisped. The condition
of the helpless animals was made all the
more terrible when shut in by the thick
walls and unyielding doors, the loft,
with its blazing hay, fell in, the tin roof
burying them in bed of living fire.
The loss is estimated at eight thousand
dollars, Mr.. Minchin being the greatest
sufferer. He owned the building and
contents but had no insurance on either.
The stable was used as feeding and
boarding place by hackmen, many Of
whom unfortunately had their horses
there at the time of the fire. The
losses are as follows: ]. Minchin,
one horse; Pete Lee, eolored, one
horse; Order q Denney, two horses;
John Ledger, three horses; w.
J. Chase, one hack No. 5, valued
at fifteen hundred dollars,) and two
horses; Mike Dea, two horses; William
Harris, colored, porter of the Peabody
hotel, three horses; Mr., Brown, agent Of
the Howe sewing-machine company,
three horses; r. Nj. Page, one horse and
one mule; three other horses and one
mule, supposed TO be owned by Mr.. Min
chin, We're also burned to death. The
kitchen and roof of Mr.. Joe Haines's
residence, adjoining the stable, were
damaged to the extent of fifty dollars
by the flames; no insurance. The stable
was doubtless fired by an ineendiary, as
a can of nnseed oil, with the brand Of
"M'DOnald d Co., sunlight" was
found in one of the stalls, where it had
been placed by some unknown person.
Strange to say, however, the wood box
enc&sing the tin can was but slightly
burned, and quantity of oil remained
in the car. Some are of the opinion
that the fire was caused by the explosion
of a lamp which was left burning in the
stable, but as no one can account for the
can of oil the general opinion is that an
incendiary fred the stable.