21 Horses Cremated

Arm Arbor's biggest fire in some years oconrred shortly after midnigbt last Saturday wben the livery baru and house of A. H. Holmes, of Forest ave., was burned.together with 21 horses and the en tire livery outfit. The origin of the fire is shrouded in mystfiry. Wheu first discovered it had gained such headway that it would have been impossible to stop it. Flarnes seemed to burst from all parts of the roof of the great barn at once and the house was afire befcre the alarm was sent in to the fire department. Mr. Holmes, when awakened, rushed to the telephone but experienced a long delay before he could reacb the department and when finally he did suooeed in teling the operator that his barn was in flarnes, the fire burst into the room of the house where the telephone was placed. Tbe department made quick time wben they did receive the word. The flames were plainly visiblo to the firemen when they first left the eugine house, but when they reaohed the stables, the roof was falliug iu. The water hydrants were all at some distance from the fire, there being none on Forest ave. Two linea of hose were attached to the hydrant on Hill st. and one to a hydrant ou Willard. The latter hydrant was partially clogged with sediment, being near a dead end of the main. Soori two good streams aud OD6 poor oue were playing on the fire. The pressure at this point is only abont half what it is in the business part of the city. The fire is said to have been the hottest one since the orgauization of the fire departrueut, the beat escpeding that of the stieet car barn fire. The nozzles of the hose becarne so hot as to blister tbe hands that touched them and rubber coats on the backs of firemeu melted. The fire was extinguished before the house was cousuined, bnt not uatil it had been so damaged as to be worthless. Most of the honsehqjftgoods were saved. It was iioposble to save the horses, excepting one whQ was uear a side door and this one was suorched. Eighteen of the horses burned belonged to Mr. Holmes, and one each to Dr. V. C. Vaughan, Porf. A. B. Hinsdale, and the Hnrd-üolines company. A Jeisey cow was also bnrued. Another Jersey cow escaced through her own exertions bnt was badly burned. It is thougbt that the horses were suffocated early as their cries were not heard after the people had been aroused. The night hack whicb was nader a shed was saved aud one of the best backs and another of the best rigs were in the shops for repairs or painting. With tbe6e exceptions the remainder of the livery outfit was burned. The loss is about 12,000 and the insurance amounted to $6,000. Mr. Holmes put in electric lights in the spring and as he would allow neither lantern or smoking iu the stables, he dropped $3,500 insurance in June. Spontaneous combustión has been suggested as the cause of the fire to explain how the flarnes barst fioin all parts of the barn nearly at once. Others seem to have the idea that smoking uiay have cansed it. If so, some unauthorized person must have been in the barn, as the man whose business it was to go in the loft, does not smoke. Crowds of visitors gathered aronnd the rniDS of the barn all day Sunday, drawn there largely by a morbid curiosity to view the ghastly remains of the 21 horses whose carcasses lay there, silent witnesses to the sufteiiug the poor animáis had undergone as they were being literally roasted to death. Many visitors brought their lunches to eat in the grove opposite. Daring the day Mr. Holmes anc family were the reoipients of man; expressions of sympathy and enconragement from their friends and neighbors. Mr. Holmes vrill rebuild on the saine spot.