The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1920-04-06
LETTER TELLS OF FIRE AT CON.
FEDERATE HOME

Probably no one in Paris takes a.
greater interest in the Confederate
veterans in the Confederate Home
at Pewee Valley than Mrs. Charles
c. Leer. Very recently Mrs. Leer
received letter from c. L. Daugh-
ert, Commandant of the Home.
which, in part, tells OF conditions
there following the recent destruc-
ton by fire of that place. Col.
Daugherty, writing to Mrs. Leer
under date of March 30, says:
Dear Madam:-As you doubtless
know before this, a part of the Con-
federate Home burned last Thursday
night. The main building and the
laundry were total loss. The roof
of the heating plant and one ward of
the infirmary burned. The balance
of the buildings are intact. All the
furniture in the main building, as
well as the supply of food and cloth
ing, burned. We saved nearly all
the bedding. The machinery in the
heating plant is not injured. L sent
twenty-six of the infrmary patients
to the Louisville City Hospital after
the fire, and about twenty of the
men have gone away on furlOughs.
l have the balance comfortably situ-
ated in what is left of the infirmary,
in Dukes Hall, the two-story COT
tage and the tuberculosis building.
The dining room and kitchen were
saved, therefore, We are able to feed
the veterans with very little incOn-
venienee. A great number of the
men lost their clothing, especially
their underwear. We also lost
nearly all the sheets, pillow slips anG
towels that were in the laundry
and store room. Our sewing ma
chimes were also lost in the fire.
I'VE have had to buy about
sixty bedsteads, and have had to go
to a great deal of expense on &C
count of extra help to clean up the
building and make ready for the
men. Although the fire occurred at
right l had a bed ready for every
one of them before midnight, and
had breakfast ready for them before
eight O'Clock the next morning.
"Am preparing to bring the men
from the City Hospital az soon as
our water supply will permit. Cur
water tanks were burned, but 1
think the structure on which they
rested is all right 1t will probably
cost about $500 or $1,000 to re-
place the tanks. 1t will take two
weeks time for replacing. l AM
sure we have ample insurance to
rebuild an addition to the lnflrmary'
which will make the men more COM
Portable than they have ever Deen..
We have lost about one-half months
appropriation in supplies, such as
food and clothing, as we had bought
our summer clothings but, on the
whole, we are much better Off than
could be expected under the circum-
stances. We did not have a single
man injured in any way.
1.-The employees of the Home did
heroic work in saving the men and
rroperty. Too much cannot be said
! for the citizens of Pewee Valley.
| for their work in behalf of the vet
Grams. The Presbyterian and Epls-
copal churches were opened for the
care of the men. The rector or the
Episcopal church notified us in less
than fifteen minutes after the fire
started that his church was open
for the the reception Of the men IN
infirmary, who were carried there.
A great many of the citizens OF Pc
wee Valley carried from one to
three of the veterans to their homes.
Il am writing you this as one OF
the Advisory Board Of the Home, SO
YOU may know the true conditions
existing at the Home. Il trust you
will have this published in your
county papers so that the friends
and relatives of the veterans may
also know of the conditions.
Very Respectfully Yours,
&C. L. DAUGHERTY, Commandment.
per I. A. Nall, Secretary.