The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-10-12
together With lis Head of Horses and Mules,
$4,000 Bushels of Wheat, and ThOus-
andS of Dollars Worth of Oats,
Hay and Corn.
MOST DISASTROUS FIRE In THE HISTORY
OF THE COUNTY, TOTALING ABOUT
$4,000 WITH $45,5OO INSURANCE.

Columbia was visited by one of the
largest and most disastrous fires in
the history of the county Wednesday
night, when the Columbia Stockyards
was destroyed, together with lis head
of horses and mules, about 1900
bushels of wheat, some $4,000 worth
of oats, about $4,000 worth of hay, to-
gether with numerous wagons. bug
gies and other property. The esti-
mate of the total Joss is $4,000, on
which there is insurance Of $4,000.
The various proprietors and employ
ees of the Stockyards, the Columbia
Mercantile Warehouse Co. and Dale
| Bros. left the establishment at 6:15
o'clock At S:15 o'clock a blaze was
discovered in one of the grain rooms
on the north side of the building and
within twenty minutes the entire
building covering about one and one
quarter acres was a mass Of flames.
1t was the general verdict that it was
the quickest fire the town has ever
had, and well it might be, for the
great building with few dividing walls
was filled with hay. straw, oats and
wheat, besides the ITO head of horses
and mules, valued at from $4,000 to
100000. OF course the attention of
the first employees and neighbors to
reach the scene was turned toward
releasing the horses and mules A
number of the mule pens were thrown
open and many of the animals were
driven into the hall and to the en-
frances. Some of the mules released
continued on out and Al head were
later recovered, but others turned
back into the fire and smoke where
it was death to follow and we're
which had contained only twenty
mules before the fire was discovered.
was heaped with sixty-five charred
and smoking carcases this morning
Other pens, which could not be opened
contained their correct number of
carcases.
The crowd gathered rapidly at the !
alarm and probably three thousand
people watched the work of destruc- |
ton. The fire company responded /,
promptly, but found an impossibility !
confronting them so far as saving ;
any of the stockyard property went,
though they did faithful service in
saving the surrounding property and
worked throughout the night in their
labor of protection. and in quenching
the flames at the stock yards after
the fierce heat had died down suffic-
lently for the men to approach and
the water to have some effect.
A gruesome scene was presented by
the ruins Thursday. Charred and
smoking timbers, great pixies Of
soaked and smoking grain, with the
burned bodies of the horses and mules
by the twisted shapes the
agony the dying animals must have
Mr.. w. I Howard, Messrs.
W. j., Frank and Will Dale, VIII
Vaughn and other members and en-
)loyees of the firm affected were on ;
he scene, and the work of clearing
Up the debris had already begun, ar
having been made to burn
he remains of the animals with the
imber remaining from the fire. Il
Mr. Howard was seen by Herald {
and asked as to his
uture plans. He said the company
lad already opened an Office across s
he street and would of course re- {
'uild, as soon as plans could be drawn
nd contracts let. The old stock {
ards on the site of this late building 7
we're burned in January, 1886, and as 2
larger and better building was t
rected on the scene of the old, 1t Y
most pfODaDle tnAt MeSSfS. howard s
, Co. will erect a still larger and bet I
er building to replace the one de- T
troyed Wednesday night. The Com s
any's business has increased year by a
ear until today Columbia is one of s
he largest mule markets of the s
outh, and Howard & Co. handle I
more mules than any other s
rm south of St Louis. They furnish b
ready market for all the horses a
nd mules raised and fed in Maury 5
nd adjoining counties at high prices d
nd distribute thousands upon thous- v
nds of dollars throughout the county \
ach twelve months. With the anil Il
ted company the Columbia Mercan- S