Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-11-23
,other Incident of the Chicago Fire.


The papers all over the country continue
.o teen with accounts of sad incidents
connected with the great fire in Chicago.
None sadder, however, has been told than
that related at the Mayors Office in Pitts
burph. few mornings ago, by little boy
Who said that both his father and his
mother persisted in the flames, and that he
himself barely escaped with his life. The
Leader, of that city, gives the following
details:
The little fellow, who is eleven wears of
ace. saws that his name is George Howard.
HIS father and mother lived in New York
until about two months ago, when they re-
moved to Chicago There the father
started into the merchant tailoring bust
ness and was getting along quite well
when the great fire started They lived on
Randolph street, and when they retired to
he'd on the second night of the confiagra-
ton the fire was not within great dis
lance of their house. and there were, of
course, no fears entertained in that local
ity of the flames. George saws that he
was aroused from his sleep by the heat,
and when he opened his eyes he found
their building to be on fire and the win
dows already in flames. He jumped up,
awakened his father and mother, and told
them the whole house was on fire. The
heat at this time was intense, and the little
fellow managed to save himself by Jump
ing through one of the burning windows,
which was on the second story down on
to the pavement below There he waited,
expecting his father and mother could
also escape by jumping from the windows.
But they were never seen afterward. In
less time than it takes almost to tell it,
the building was q crumblng mass. The
next morning, the little fellow states, he
found the bones of his father and mother
lying under the ruins.
He was now an orphan, and, having
been in Chicago but month, knew no
one The only relative he had was an
uncle, trapper whose home was in st.
Louis, but when last heard from was in
Philadelphia, and he determined to make
an effort to get to him. He came across
gentleman going to Philadelphia, whose
name he said was John Nelson, and he
agreed to pay his fare They took a train
on the Erie Railroad, and the conductor,
to whom he related his story, took pity on
him and purchased him a neat suit of
clothes The little fellow, when he es-
capped from the burning building, wasin his
night-clothes, and he had obtained only
sufficient old clothing to cover himself.
When they arrived in Philadelphia
George found that his uncle had left but
short time previous for st. Louis. Mr.
Nelson left him on Market street. and told
him to go up to the Pennsylvania Railroad
depot, relate his story to the officials, and
they would pass him on to ST. Louis. The
little fellow went to the depot, but they
disbeleved his story, and wouldn't give
him pass. He then started to walk to-
ward Harrisburg, expecting that he would
come across somebody that would send
him to his destination. He walked all the
way from Philadelphia to Harrisburg
without getting any assistance, being ten
days on the journey. He said that he
begged victuals at the farm houses, and
slept in the woods at night. The latter, he
said, did not come very hard on him, as
he once went on a trapping expedition in
Western Missouri, when he had to camp
out at night He reached Harrisburg
freight train and stole ride to Altoona.
officials, and Mr.. A. j. Casset, General
Superintendent of the road, provided him
with pass to Pittsburgh, with instIuc-
be turned over to the Relief Committee OF
the Chicago Fire Fund, who, if they be-
lievcd his story to be true one, could
have him sent on to his destination. The
boy arrived here this morning, and called
at the Mayors Office, where he related his
story as given above to Mayor Brush and
the Relief Committee.
Little George is a bright, intelligent lad,
and told his story very smoothly. when
the names of his father and mother were
mentioned, the tears came into his eyes.
The boy was closely questioned, with
view to seeing whether he was really tell
ing the truth or not and he answered every
thing so quickly, and yet with such child
like simplicity, that no doubts were lett
upon the minds of his hearers that he was
telling the truth. Mr. Morehead OF the
Relief Committee, has procured HIM
pass to ST Louis. and will provide HIM
with means enough to see him on there
comfortably. The little fellow viii start
this afternoon He says his uncle resides
one mile out of ST. Louis, and that he VIII
have no difficulty in finding him, as ne was
at his house at the time he started with
him on the trapping expedition to Western