The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1901-11-29
BIG FIRE AT CHAIRES.
Patterson Bros. Gin and Grist Mill
Destroyed.-Other News.

Chares, Nov. 27.-A disastrous fire
occurred here early Saturday night in
which the Patterson Bros. lost oRe of
stheir large gins and grist mills. Mr.. |
Patterson estimates their loss at |
s$3, 900, with no insurance. There are !
imany cOnjectures as to the origin of !
:the fire. The west bound passenger !
train was about 4 hours late, passing |!
there shortly before the fire and it is !
possible that a spark from the engine |
sset it as the gin mill was near the /
track. Another theory advanced is that
sSOme one in some way gained access
Ito the building in which there was a
good deal of corn, besides so tons of
HAY stored, for the purpose of robbery
land carelessly dropped a match. It is
srOt thought to have been the work of
Ean incendiary.
When the alarm of fire was given
! Everybody was closed in as it was very
scold and each one thought it was their
house. For awhile pandemonium
sreigned supreme. Near the burning
building on one side was Mr. Smiths
fbuggy house and stable, and on the
other side was Mr.. Luck CoX's dwell
Sing house. If the former had caught
I the whole village would probably have
been destroyed and if the latter, two
/ other dwellings besides Mr. FIeming's
still on the other side of the railroad
would have burned. AS it was apparent
that the gin could not be saved all
I the forces were concentrated in trying
I to save Mr.. Smiths buildings and Mr..
CoX's house, and these were simply
Z bathed in water, even the ground was
flooded
& One of our prominent citizens, whose
name we withhold, was calling con-
stantly for water and water all around
him-all he had to do was to dip it up
from the ground. 1t is said that one
man II answering the call Of another
to rescue his horses which were in
& Imminent danger, rushed 20 the stable
) with the pitchfOTk, seeing this article
q was Ict needed ne threw it down and
8 led the horses out to 4 place Of safety.
d When the flames were at their
z height al alarm WAS sounded that the
boiler would burst and probably kill
{, some CDe. At this one OF or merchants
8 who IS not of very small proportions
s. Of business, and q certain young mar
s. ried man whose wife would go with
Il lim was seen with her hiding behind
box ear. There is always amusing
: incidents connected with these things
q which are clearly seen after danger is
q past.
The high wind which had blown all
{ day lulled toward night and during the
8 fire all was calm. 1t again reached 8
q high pitch shortly after the fire. Then
too, it was SO early people had not re.
! tired and it being Saturday there were
so many more to help than would
ST otherwise have been. But what we have
q to be most thankful for is that Mr.
( Fleming had just before the fire ship
ped a car load of spirits of turpentine
from the gin house. Had this been any
3 where near an awful explosion could
: not have been averted.
II For once in her history ChaireS had
no invalids.
!: Mr.. D. T. Granting, of Centerville
paid his daughter, Myrtle, a visit Sun
I: day.
81 Mr.. Sam Smith, of LlOyds, came NJ
to the village Sunday, where his
friends are always glad to see him.
4 Mrs. Grundy says wedding bells viii
9 again peal forth their joyful tones il
Chaires soon. 1t is needeless for any.
one living here to ask for whom they
q will be rung.
!. Mr.. Sam Patterson will soon go into
the mercantile business at Attapulgas
+, Ga, having bought out the firm of A
3 R. Patterson.
8 Miss Annie Chaires left last Thurs
& day for visit to Mrs. Charley Pearce
in Tallahassee. Her father, Mr.. G. A
: Chaires, has improved very much in
health to the delight of his many
) friends.
Mr.. G. T. Hancock with his wife and
p children spent the day here last We'd
:; nesday and the night with his daugh-
ter, Mrs. C. J. English, at the still.
Mr.. and Mrs. B. C. Williams went to
3 Newport last Sunday and returned
), Monday afternoon.
q Misses Johnnie Mcqueen and Alta
II Hodges were in the village Monday.
B A horrible accident occurred at Mr.
81 Fleming's sugar mill last week in
& which one of the hands employed
s round the mill lost his life. Not even
81 Mr.. Fleming can tell just how it was
a done, but the colored man had his head
4 crushed by the lever. Death was in
81 StantaneOus.
v One day last week Mr.. Woodbery
q and Mr.. Luck Cox were out hunting.
q Not seeing some wire that was trailing
8 on the ground. Mr.. Cox's horse got
t tangled up in it, when it became badly
Z frightened. Mr.. WOOdbery went to his
q assistance and his horse too got into
d the wire AS the horse were struggling
to get it free placed then in very
! dangerous position. The horses sue
z ceeded in freeing themselves after
Z awhile but it came near being a SER
Il iouS affair.