The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-08

Eighteen horses and mules were burned to a crisp last night in the de- struction of the barn and stables or the Capitol Brewing and Ice Company in North Montgomery.
 The flames had made such headway on the wooden building stored with grain and hay when the blaze was discovered at II o'clock that out of a total of twenty-one head of stock it was impossible to rescue but three, and one of them was so badly burned that he may have to be shot.
 The horses and mules were tied to their stalls and unaided they could not have escaped even if they had not been maddened by the flames.
 The origin of the fire is unknown. It was discovered by the negro fireman of the brewery who was working on the night shift. At that time the sta- bles were a mass of flames. The build ing. Q long wooden structure, was detached from the main building by about one hundred feet. An unob- structive view of 1t could not be ob- tained from the engine room. It was the flash of the flames in the darkness of the night that attracted the atten- tion of the negro fireman.
 He gave an alarm and a telephone message was sent immediately to the fire department. President N. J.. Greil and other officers of the com pany were informed of the fire and they hurried to the scene.
 Bicycle Patrolmen Downs and Cam tey who were in the neighborhood were, with the exception of the night force or the brewery, the first to reach the blazing building. An attempt was made to rescue the doomed horses and mules. but the intense neat prevented the rescue of any of the horses and mules except those that were in the immediate neighborhood of the main door.
 Loss Not Estimated.
 The loss had not been estimated last night, but 1t will probably be several thousand dollars The heaviest loss was incurred in the burning of the live stock.
 The mules and horses were of the best class. They were used in the de. livery service of the company. For tunately for the company the wagons were stored in another building. The companys harness was. however, stored Tn the barn. and every piece of 1t was burned. The barn, stables and live stock were insured.
 The bottling works of the company were situated immediately adJacent to the barn and stables. They were also or wood and for a few minutes they were in serious danger When the Fire Department arrived the barn and stables were mass of ruins. The ef forts of the firemen were directed to the saving of the bottling works and In this they were completely success full.
 The main building of the brewery containing the valuable machinery and engines, was never in serious danger A splendid water pressure was to De had from the plugs, and the fremen never found 1t necessary to call the engines into use.
 The fire created considerable excite ment among the people of the down. town district and those of the northern part of the city who 4 re awake at that hour. The first Jews sen. out was the statement that the brewery was burning. A large crowd that col lected at the fire felt general satis. faction that the first report was un- founded
 President GrieI Talks.
 President Griel of the Capital Brew ing and Ice Company, said last night when the fire had been gotten under control:
 l cannot tell at this time what OUT losses will be. I understand that eigh- teen out of the twenty-one horses ard mules in the stables were burned to death. The barn was stocked to thu roof with hay and grain. Every heal of the stock that was burned wa a valuable animal. The fire will not however. interfere with the business of our company. We will start out tomorrow as if there had been no flrC. Our customers will be served as they have been in the past. The burned property was insured, but I hardly think the insurance will cover tte loss"
 The run of the Fire Department 10 the fire was marked by an accider which fortunately had no serious con sequences. The front axle of steamer No. 2, stationed at Scott Street, brokn while the fremen were on their way but all the firemen on the engine c;;- caped without hurt. The accident oc- cured at the corner of Monroe and Decatur Streets. The engine had cross ed the track of the Montgomery Trac- tion Company and had gone about twenty feet In place heavy and deep with mud the front axle gave way at the king bolt. The mud had slowed the progress of the engine and the tiremen were not thrown to the ground
 The engine is several years old but tho axle had recently been put in.
 AT CASINO THEATRE.