The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-01-02
DIE IN FIRE..
Five Hundred Horses and Mules
Burned to Death in
ATLANTA STOCKYARD

The Fire Caused by Safe Blowers. Nigh
Watchman, Trying to Release Horses
and Mules, Was Badly Burned
on Hand. Safe Blow.
ers Escaped.
In Atlanta on Christmas Day saft
blowers who wrecked q safe and over
turned the cnce stove, started fir
which quilted the two stables OF Ear
per Brothers and Ragsdsle and Oar
isle, near the Brady Union Stool
Yards, and caused the death Of 40l
heads Of n ules and 100 OF horses. b
). Harper, OF the first named firm, es
Inmates the total loss at Something
over 100000, with sppro1ima tell
s55, 900 Insurance.
The fire started shortly after
O'Clock Tuesday morning. The stables
Of the two firms, covering two ac,es
and owned by Harper Brothers, were
Quilted before 5 O'Clock. Tie fire de-
psrtment responded, but could render
20 aid.
The mourning and suffering Of the
500 Gagged animals was terrible. and
could be heard all over the neighbor.
hood. &. L. Bsynes, the night watch
man, wss in the basement feeding,
when the f.e started. The back dool
WAS fastened and be could not open 1t
to permit the animals to escape.
Bsynes himself, was burned on the
hand.
The safe, with its doors blown open,
stood on one side near the cfice door.
The books and other contents were
gone. There was not much money !n
it, however.
The loss Is as follows: 400 mules 1T
$3.50 piece, $50, 900; 100 horses st
s1oo 8 piece, $4,000; two stables,
100000, making total Of 100000.
Mr.. Harper says that these figures are
Appropriated, as is the amount OF the
insurance-s55 900.
The county police aye keeping .
lookout .or the safebloWers, but o far
have no clue. Tuesday morning part
OF the walls which had been left
standing fell down, and the police
ksnt <ha crov6 hack.
B. Gillsrd, who lives near the sta.
bles, ssYs he heard a cracking noise,
as il some ooe had used dynamite,
shortly alter q o'clock Tuesday morn.
ing. Getting up, be dressed hurrjedly
and msde for the stables. When he
got there they were in flames. They
were completely gusted by 5 O'Clock,
OF less than an hour after they started.
B. L. Bsynes, the night waschman,
was in the basement feeding. he
heard no noise ia the Office, he says,
but then be was about 400 feet from
1t, He smelled smoke, however, but
By the time he reached the rear en-
trance the building was adsme.
The horses and mules also snelleo
the smoke and crouched close to one
another and began to Thinny. Bsynes
tried TO untasten the rear gate so
that he could open it and allow the
helpless animals to escape. While he
wss working With the gate the whole
building suddenly famed up and he
himself escaped just before it crashed
in. E7en SO he got one OF his hands
burned.
The horses and mules were distrib.
uted through the two stables which
we're about equally divided between
them. Some were in the CREST base.
ment, while others we're on the upper
floor. Even II the rear gate had been
opened it is doubtful whether they
would have escaped, IS animals be-
come panic stricken on such occasions
and so far from running from the
fire, generally return to it in their
frlght.
The fire department. arrived on the
scene, but the blaze vas too far gone
toe the fremen to do any good. Short
y after 5 O'Clock 1t Was over. The
snimals were completely burned up In
most instances. Not shred CT tim.
ber could be seen and only parts Of the
walls were left standing.
H. S. Harper, Of Hsrper Brothers,
said Tuesday that he could give no
very exact figures on the FIRE, except
the approximate ones given abovs.
While he placed 9 vslustion Of $50
OF the mules, it is probable that the
average would be nesrer 5000.
II am convinced that the safe.
blowers were responsible for the fire, "
ssid MI. Harper. ''The safe was
blown up and turne d over and its con-
tents were taken. don't think they
got much money, but they got some.
my theory Is that when the safe
blowers dyDsmitsd the safe the e1plo.
sion overturned the ofioe stove, and
this spread the dsmes to the building.
It was the quickest FIRE Imaginable.
In less than sn hour after it had
Quilted the piacs.
I'VE have no clue so far to the
identity CT the men who blew the safe
The night wstchman, being in the
basement, 400 yards sway from The
Office, Of course heard OF saw nothing
that would give us any clue.
II don't know exactly how much
insurance we have, but 1t is In ths
asigh oorhood Of s55, 900. We lost be-
tween $50 and 400 mules st q value OF
$3.50 . piece: 100 horses at s100, anc
stable at $50, 900. The two stables
covered shout two sores Of ground
and they were owned by Harper
Brothers. The insurance is On horses
caules and buildings"
The two stables are at the foot O
Emmett street, eff Marietta street
and near the Brady Upion Stool
Yards.