The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-03-23
A Terrible Calamity.

On Monday morning word was brought into
town OF most heart-rending disaster which
occlrred about elven miles east OF Wichita
on Sunday night, wherein the home OF VIM.
McGary was destroyed by fire and two Of
his children burned up. We were unable to
gather but few of the sickening details. The
night was the widest OF any during the past
winter, as our home readers well know. The
piercing winds and binding drifts of snew
swept down from the north as in fierce anger
shrieking across the bleak prairies, causing
our houses to tremble to the very foundation.
1t appears that Mr.. McGary's family con-
sisted OF himself. wife and SIX children, and
that at the usual bed time four of the children
went up stairs to bed. taking with them seine
matches with which to light LAMP Nothing
further is certainly known by the parents un-
til one son fell through the floor and girl,
lame child ran down the stairway. The pa
rents and the two children down stairs and
the two that escaped from above could hardly
get out Of the house before it was one sheet OF
flame. IL seems that about the middle OF the
night two children were awakened by fire ard
smoke. The boy who fell through, finding the
house OH fire, endeavored to pull a young
child out of bed when he fell. 1t is further
supposed that after lighting the lamp burn
ing match must have fallen among some
clothes, which were set aiire but did not
break into flame for three hours afterward.
We could not learn the sex, name or ages oil
the children burned. Hardly had the terror
stricken family made their escape when the
home that had but few short hours before
sheltered from the piticss storm the father
and mother and protected from the midnight
blasts all that TO them was most dear, was not
only blaekened. smouidering heap, but with
in its expiring embers it held the crisped re-
mains OF two little forms whose spirits had
winged their flight for that cline where pitt
less storms and death-dark desolativn never
comes
Alter the above was in type, Mr.. Vail, the
stase-driyer between Wichita fnd Augusta,
handed us the following minutes ola meeting,
also the letter OF Mr.. Barlow which follows
that. The true details are none the less hor-
rible than we had them at first, but rather
heightened by the fact that the little children
ing:
At meeting held in School District No. 81,
Bruno township, Butler county, Kansas, on
the 10Th of March, A. ID. 1876, for the purpose
OF assisting William McGarry, who had the
misfortune TO get his house. goods and chill
dren burned on the night of the 10Th inst,
house was called to order by B. Robinson I.
u oh
tary. The object of the meeting being stated,
it was
Rssolcad That said William McGarry, being
rendered needy by the accidental burning OF
of his house, that j. Z. Lyons and A. Z. Satz-
man be appointed to solicit aid in Butler coun-
ty, and A. Baker end VIM. IL. Ii. Campbell to
solicit aid in Sedgwick county.
Resoiged, That L NARROW be appointed to
make n true statement OF this meeting and
beart-rending scene of the Cnarred remains OF
little Schuyler and Clara who persisted IN the
flames, and furnish copy to Butler county
papers and also to the papers Of Wichita,
"EDIToR EAGLE I'll have heard or read of
similar occurrences. but never witnessed one
before. From the best information l can OBJ
tain, the fire was started by the igniting OF 4
new kind of match by rats or eats. Four
children were up stairs where the flre origin |
atsd. The eldest girl, Anna, was the first TO
discover the fire, and got her little sister out
OF bed and thought she was following her |
down stairs. The Oldest boy was aroused by |
his bed being on fire. lie attempted to pull
Schuyler from the bed, burning his hands and |
face terribly. but being suiiocated by the |
smoke fell back wards down stairs. The father |
attempted TO reach them but failed. Clara's |
voice. screaming once. was all they heard of |
them. Thus persisted in the flames brother |
and sister Twins, two interesting, sprightly |
the favorites of the family. We
found the eharred remains of the little boy, |
but nothing, except the upper jaw, of the lit
tie girl that we could certainly identify.
Yours, respectfully
4. NARROW