The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-07-11
THREE HUkDREDHEAO
CATTLE BURN IN STOCK
YARDS At NASHVILLE
PLANT OF BOILING & POWER
BURNED, SECOND TIME IN
EIGHT MONTHS.
BLAZE DISCOVERED AT NOON
Gas Explosion Imminent But Flames
Are Confined to Stock Yards-heat
So Intense That Wires Are Melted
Across the Street.


swept over the stock yards of Boiling
Power, corner Whiteside street and
Second avenue, Sunday about 1880
o'clock, destroying the immense plant
covering about a block, cremating
about $50 Lead of stock, cutting a
part of the property of the Nashville
Gas & Heating Company, and doing
heavy damage to the surrounding
buildings. The damage was estimat.
ed at nearly $4,000. most of which
was covered by insurance.
The fire was one of the most re-
markable that has visited the city in
many years, discovered small blaze
In the rear, it was roaring mass OF
fame, covering nearly the entire
yards, before the alarm could be pull
ed. The heat was terrific and an ex.
plosion of the large gas tanks of the
Nashville Gas & Heating Co., just
across the street, was imminent, de.
spite the fact that three streams
were kept playing on the steel plates,
until the burning yards were reduc-
ed to smoldeling ashes.
| In less than thirty minutes the
blaze had done it's worst and all that
remained we're few charred posts
and piles of flesh over which played
! tiny flames gnawing their pray like
vultures. Penned in the yards were
300 hogs, scventy-five head of cattle
and one morse. With the first burst
of fire in the southeast corner, the
frightened animals stampeded about
the small enclosures, sending their
piteous bellcwings ringing over the
neighborhoo and as the flames
spread over the place hogs could DO
seen tottering under the terrific heat,
only to sink to the ground dead a
few minutes later.
Many men rushed to the building
with the first alarm and battered in
! the doors Of the western entrance,
managed 20 save about twenty-five
cattle. When the timbers fell the an
imals sprang through the opening,
rushing pell.mell through the street
believing with fright.
Mrs. J. A Lohrum, of Third ave-
nue., north, turned in the first alarm
and in few minutes the second
alarm was sounded by Assistant
Chief Weaver, who was the first
member Of the fire department to
Ireach the scene. Engines from ev-
cry section OF the city responded and
in few minutes fifteen streams were
Throwing tons of water into the fam.
ling mass. Seeing the futility OF try
ling to save the yards, Chief Rozetta
directed the fight toward saving the
surrounding property, which was in
Iserious danger on account of the
wind.
The breeze from the northeast
swept the flames across the narrow
street, enve;oping the huge gas tanks
and a grocery store recently owned
by M. Dalton & Son, but now the
property of TIE Nashville Gas & Heat
ing Co. the paint on the well filed
tanks blistered and peeled off and 1t
seemed that the entire section was
doomed. Engine companies 9 and 10,
with three heavy streams of water,
bravely stuck to their posts, keeping
the tanks well covered with water,
and this alone averted an explosion.
The grocery store, which had been
vacated, was partially saved, under
tgreat difficulties. Directly in the
path of the fire the firemen had a
terrific fgh. and it was only by short
!, reliefs that many prostrations we're
avoided.
1 A crowd Of nearly ten thousand
Ipeople witnessed the fire. The brav-
cry of the fremen as they held their
ground, keeping the fire from spread
ing, brought cheer after cheer, in.
spring the eager crowd to dash in
and help, End but for the excellent
work of the police department. I'M
der Sergts. Reed, Longhurst and Will
son, many would have been injured.
The crowd pushed up to the ends of
the burning building, but Gordon CT
police, thrown around the entire
block, fought them back.
The heat was so great that wires
across the street melted and fell hiss
ing to the ground, and immense lead
cabled melted, covering the sidewalk
beneath with a molten hail. This
added to the confusion and retarded
the fire fighters in their work.
i On the west side of Second avenue
the large frame stables were set afire
as the wind brought the flames leap
| ing across the open space, but quick
work snufed the blaze before serious
damage war ACCOMPLISHED.