Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1880-01-08
SHOCKING CATASTROPHE.
Three Children Burned to Death in Sight
of their Parents.

of their Parents.
From the New York Herald
A fire, in which three children were
burned to death, took place near the vii
lage OF Eayrestown, Burlington county,
n. j., last Sunday morning, The cltas-
trophe occurred on heiarm of Mr. james.
w. Allen, where his.overseer, Matthew
Gleason and family, occupied a low two
story frame house. Gleason and his wife
slept in an apartment Immediately over
the kitchen, while their children, John,
Margaret, and James, aged respectively
ten, seven, and two years-oCcupicd an
other sleeping room also on the second
floor. Early in the morning, it appears,
Gleason was awakened by a cracking
noise, and he became aware that the
room was filled with smoke. Springing
from his bed he opened the door leading
to the stairway but was driven back by a
sheet Of flame and dense cloud of smoke.
He at once aroused his wife, and, half
dragging her, they both groped their way
through the smoke and flame, which had
by this time completely filed the room, to
a window, through which they escaped
out of fiery furnace % the ground. The
terceness OF the flames may be estimated
when it is stated that the night clothing
OF Mrs. Gleason was found to be on fire
after she had jumped for her life. Mean
time the excessive heat and noise from
the devastating element had awakened
the three children, who appeared at an
upper window crying irantically for as.
sistanCe, and it is said that their agoniz.
ing shrieks were heard by the parents
| above the roaring Of the flames. At sight
OF her doomed little ones the poor mother
gave loud, imploring cry and then fell
backward in swoon. As there was nC
ladder at hand the distracted father
seized pole and with 1t attempted tc
raise the window sash so that the children
could jump out into his arms. His effort,
were vain, however, as the sash had beer
fastened with nails as security against tn,
winter blasts, and the almost crazed faith
er was compelled to gaze upon his loveC
ones, as they, wrapped in fire and smoke
fell backward into the mean lcscent mass
Pitiful, indeed, was the situation Of tn,
parents, as they saw their children swal
lowed up by the merciless fire demon
Neither Gleason nor his wife had on an
, clothing but their night clothes. Tn
weather was intensely cold, and the dis
= tance to the nearest neighbor was not les
than a quarter OF a mile. The lund ligh
e from the burning house had been seen b
i some residents Of the neighborhood, bu
e before any could reach the spot the built
ing had been entrly consumed. Later i
the day, and after the ruins had been pa,
= italy cooled, some sympathizing neigl
q bors instituted Il search and found Il. fe'
:, fragments of charred human bones, whlc
= q were placed together for interment.
,, 1t is stated that the fire originated in
>. shed attached to the kitchen. where a fiji
a was usually kept burning during II
Q night, and it is believed that the fire WI
IT communicated to the she'd through SON
lie defect in the chimney. At the coroner
inquest Gleason and his wife were Il
2 principal witnesses, and the Jury, aft,
ID hearing the circumstances as above +
lie lated, rendered n verdict of accident
s. death" The melancholy affair has ca
s' gloom ever the entire community in tn
=, section Of New Jersey, and great syr
"a I pathy is felt for Gleason and his VIII
!, !, both Of whom have always borne an exec
w lent reputation among their neighbor
n. The father had been in the employ
Mr., Allen for several years, and, throul
s. industry and attention, worked his WI
ye up from the grade of an ordinary far
ct aborer to the post of ovcrseer or supC
"a ntendent. HIS two young children, Ma
sy garet and James, we're born in the hOu
where they were destroyed.