Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-08
The Tobacco Exchange, Cen
trail Warehouse and
Jail Threatened.
One of the Most Destructive
Fires Ever Recorded in the
City Of Seven Hills.
CORRECT LOSS HARD TO GET.

One of the most destructive fires
that ever visited the city broke out
in Gracey Bros mule stable, on
river front, about 8 o'clock last night.
Wallace GlascOck, who superintends
the dray business for Gracey Bros,
saw :hirty.tw0 mules safely stalled
in the stable at & o'clock last evening,
and, as Is his custom, walked up and
down the rows of stalls to see if
everything was all right. When he
had become satisfied on this point he
locked the doors securely and went
home, little thinking that within
the next two hours some of the fine
animals would perish in hungry
flames.
About S:15 O'Clock Caleb Cowherd,
a "trusty" at the Jail, discovered fire
breaking out of the northwest corner
of the stable. In this corner room
was cut off from the stable proper
and was used for general storage pur-
poses. 1t contained gear, tools of va
rious descriptions and many other
useful articles that had been laid
away for an emergency, and it is sup
posed that the fire originated in this
room.
Cowherd gave the alarm, and in
company with one or two of the
drivers, he rushed to the stable to
save the mules if possible. The
doors being securely locked, it was
not an easy matter to gain an en-
trance. Scantlings, however, were
used as batterlng-rams and the main
doors were burst into splinters. The
fire, in the meantime, had taken
such a Roadway, among the feed,
and other cOmbustible matter, that it
was evident to the small crowd
which had now gathered that very
few of the mules could be saved.
Willing hands, however, went to
work and a hercuIean effort was
made to release the tortured and
maddened brutes from their
FIERY FURNACE.
1t was indeed furnace, seething
with some OF the most angry flames
ever witnessed in the city. There
were eleven mules taken safely from
the stable. The remainder, twenty
one in number, two of which belong
ed to Robt. Manning, met a horrible
death, so horrible, in fact, that many
men turned their eyes away TO shut
out the spectacle.
The stable was a frame building
with wide driveway through the
center. This acted as an air channel,
helping the flames to make a start,
and before the fire department got
there it was beyond doubt too late to
save the stable. The stable was
within few feet of the Banner
warehouse, at the north end, and the
flames gradually crept in this direc,
ton and also in close proximity TO
the
COUNTY JAIL.
There were about thirty.tive prison
ers confined in the jail, and as their
cells became lighted up by the glare
from the burning building they be-
came frantic with fright. They
yelled and shouted for some
one to turn them out, but
Sheriff Station, assisted by the
entire police force, and number of
special deputies, soon convinced them
that they were in no immediate
danger, and they were transferred to
the city Jail. All the furniture was
then taken from the Jail building and
conveyed n safe distance from the
fire. The building was severely |
scorched, but the damage nominal.
THE BANNER WAREHOUSE.
From the first it was evident that
the Banner Warehouse was in great
danger aud the work of the fire de-
partment was directed TO this build
ing. Their efforts were Of little avail
in checking The flames, and in few
minutes all saw that this splendid
building would have to go. 1t was II
fine brick warehouse, five stories,
built at a cost Of $1,000, and owned
nv Merlwether 4 Co. 1t was full of
tobacco, containing in the neighbor-
hood Of 800 hogsheads, nearly all of
which served as food for the flames.
when the building became envel-
oped grave fears were entertained for
the Central Warehouse, the Tobacco