The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-11-15
A BAD FIRE.

Ninet, en- Finely Trained Horse
and Other Property Burned.
The Wild West Show Ruined. Fir
Was Set and Several SUSPECTS
Will be Arrested.
The Augusta Chronicle says what
was probably the most disastrous fire
Of recsnt years occurred Wednesday
morning when two stables, two barns,
one hundred and fifty tons of hay and
many valuable farming implements,
the whole being The property OF Mr.
W. 81. Buford and nineteen fine
trained Texas horses, the property Of
Capt. G. W. Riggs, were destroyed,
totaling q loss of about S28 900. The
fire occurred on the e dorado Farm,
and is supposed to have been Of incen.
diary or gin.
The fire was discovered Wednes
day morning about 3 O'Clock by ne
groes residing on the Eldorado Farm.
When the alarm vas given the two
big barns were q mass Of fines.
Within q few nom nts the two ad
joining stables, in which twenty hor.
ses we're occupying stall ignited, and
before the horses could be recued the
stables also were in flames.
BY that time Mr.. Buford, the ow.
ner of the Eldorado Farm, Capt.
Riggs, the proprietor Of the wild west
show which is %wintering on the farm
together with all their employees had
gathered on the scene and made sever.
al attempts to check the progress OF
the fire. Their eff orts on this lines,
however, proved Intellectual. Fort
unately a wind kept tho flames from
reaching the residence buildings AMI
the tents of Capt. Riggs, which were
but q few yards distan6.
Those who witnessed the fire say
that their experience was a horrible
one. Four big buildings were blsz
Ing fiercely. Ia one was confined
twenty horses who were being slowly
burned to death. Their snorts and
squeals Of terror and pain brought
tears TO the eyes Of the spectators,
who we're powerless to aid them, Ole
horse escaped from the building, but
30 badly burned that it will not live.
Capt. Riggs loss will amount to
absut $4,000. Tae horses were OF
unusually fine breed, and besides,
Fere trained for circus purposes.
Many OF them-the more intelligent
ones-held q high place In his afec.
tions, and he feels their loss In other
than q pecuniary way. he himself
declares that he is h~eartSroken.
Mr.. Bufords loses aggregate sls. 00O
at the lowest estimate. The barns
and stables were the largest and pos.
sibly the best equipped In or near the
city. Besides he lost many threshing
M c lines of great value, hundreds OF
farm Implement , and about one hun.
dred and fifty tons Of hay. The prop
erty was not insured. Those who are
in q position to know declare that
the fire was OF incendiary origin. 1t
vas even stated that certain persons
we're suspected of having committed
the malicious act, and that their ar.
Arrest would shortly follow.
The Chronicle says q touching In.
cident, and one that was q rare ex'
ample of the devotion that some AMI
mails bear for their masters and mis-
dresses, was witnessed Wednesday
morning by q few who had driven out
to the Eldorsdo Farm to view the
scene OF the terrible fire, when little
Miss Riggs, the daughter Of Capt. G.
w. Riggs, who was the owner Of the
horses, succeeded in getting Ruby"
the only horse Of twenty that escap.
ed from the flames. to rize from the
grouad, after many had striVen In
vain to induce the burned and sufer.
ing beast to stir from the position In
which t had fallen.
The horses hide, where it had not
been burned eff completely, resembled
leather; it's eyes we're burned out, and
It's head and face terribly blistered.
After escaping from the burning sta
ole the horse hac been led to water.
ing trough beside which 1t had fallen.
Several men had been endeavoring
for a number of hours to induce the
beast to stand on Its legs. But theil
coaxlng and threats had been in vain.
Miss Riggs approached within
few feet Of the horse which had once
been her pet.
"Rlby," she softly called; Ruby,
please get up"
For a moment the horse lay still!
then it made one supreme effort ano
staggered to its feet. Guided by bel
voice Ruby" walked forward q few
steps on weak, shaking legs. Just
as Miss Riggs pstted it's forehead thu
legs collapsed and the horse fell tt
the ground.
And despite the further efforts o.
Whip poor will, Capt. Riggs Chero
kee Indian associate, it refused tx
bulge.
Peculiar Accident.
A dispatch from Union to the State