Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-11-12
The Deadly FAN OF a House,

Inc most IrignLIul ana deadly ac'
cident which has startled the usual
" quiet and uneventfui run of af.
fairs in our city for many years past
occurred on last Tuesday night,
about a quarter to ten o'clock, dur
ing the heavy rain storm which oc-
Cured at that hour. Itconsisted in
the fall of story and a half tene-
ment house, situated ON a street
near the gas works in the southern
part of the city, by which Comma
dore Fentress, colored, his wife and
three children were ushered into
eternity in the twinkling of an eye.
The facts of the deadly catastrophe
as gathered by Chronicle reporter
are as follows
/ The house in which the unfortu-
nate victims lived was, as before
stated, an old and considerably di-
lapiGated frame house which had
stood for many years on the side of
a rather steep hill, and was support
ed on the south and west sides by
poplar or cedar pillars, six or eight
feet high, which are supposed to
have either become decayed by
time, or else to have been loosened
by the washing away of the ground
beneath them, while others main
tain that Fentress and his family
had removed a number of them and
burned them for firewood. OF
course rumors as to the probable
cause Of the deadly accident are va
rious and contradictory, and as the
lips of those who probably knew
more about the condition of the
house than any living person, are
sealed in death, doubtless the true
cause of the accident will forever re-
main a mere conjecture. 1t is safe
to say that the accident was not
caused by the wind, for although
the rain was descending in torrents
at the hour the house fell, there was
comparatively little wind. No
matter what may have led to the
sad calamity it was shocking and
gastly enough In its fatal results.
On the night above named shortly
before ten o'clock those dwelling in
the neighborhood were aroused by
a loud crash, and going out it was
Immediately discovered that Com
modore Fentress' house had fallen
in and that it was occupied by his
family. The cry of young child
was heard among the debris. The
alarm was quickly given and those |
who soon after arrived set to work |
to extricate the still living child.
He was soon eXtricated and an ex-
animation disclosed the fact that
he had escaped serious injury, hav-
ing only slight cut or bruise on
his left hand. Further examination
soon disclosed the five lifeless and
mangled bodies of Commodore Fen
tress, his wife and three boy chill
dren, who were removed to a va
cant house across the street and
stretched out on a blanket on the
the floor to await the coming of the
morning and the coroners jury. A
visit of the reporter next morning
to the scene disclosed one of the
most complete wrecks it was ever
his lot to behold. There was not /
a single timber or beam standing
and boards and plastering were
many feet around, while
the roof lay fiat upon the floor of
the demolished building. Here and
there among the timbers could be
seen the tattered and torn bed-cloth-
ing and household furniture of the
poor unfortunates. The house was
a total wreck and the mystery is
how even the little six year old
boy escaped uninjured. Winding
his way across the street, through
the gaping, enquiring crowd of ne
glOes aud whites who had gathered
to view the ruins, or to crafty their
morbid curiosity by look at the
dead, the reporter emit
cred the room where the five dead
bodies lay stretched out in a row
upon the floor, with a blanket
thrown over them. From the APP
pearance Of. their apparel the vic
TINS of the fatal accident had evil
IDENTIFY retired before it occurred.
There was no mark of Disagreement
upon their faces, but from those
who examined them, it was learned
that they were considerably man
gled, several of their arms and legs
being broken.
Commodore Fentress, was a
sprightly, hard working colored
man, about thirty-five years of age.
but was not very well known in the
city. not having lived here very
long. His wife was about thirty
years of age. They had four boy
children aged from eighteen months
to twelve years, three of whom
were killed, the youngest and the
two oldest.
A coroners jury was sOmmOnsed
which brought in a verdict in accor-
dance with the above facts. The
bodies were decently inferred in
the colored burying ground, by or
der of the County Judge.
The Flux I'm District No. IT.
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