Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-12-08


The destruction of the Beckwith House
at Oshkosh by fire last Friday evening
will long be remembered as one of the
most appalling catastrophies that ever
happened in the state resulting in the
burning alive of three persons and the
loss of a large amount of property. A
reporter of the Oshkosh Northwestern
gives the following graphic story of escape
from the building, and as three OF the
parties mentioned, namely, Mrs. &. r.
Harlow, Mrs. W. B. Folds and Mrs }. }.
Sprague are well known in this city, the
former being one of our residents some
years ago, the account will doubtless be
perused with interest by our readers:
A reporter called at Mrs. Harlow's re-
sidence, on Algoma street, for the purpose
of gaining an accurate statement from
her of the scene in Mrs. Paige's room at
the breaking out of the fire. Rest and
quietness having been ordered, Mrs. Har-
low could not be interviewed, but friends
present related all the incidents Mrs.
Harlow remembered, as follows: Mrs.
Harlow had just called on Mrs, Paige and
had not yet removed gloves and cloak.
Some unusual hubbub in the house at
tracted their attention. They opened
the door and stepped into the hall and
found dense volume of smoke arising
from the stairway. Quickly they rushed
back into Mrs Paige's room. Opening
the windows, they appealed to the people
below to rescue them. Their appeals
appeared in vain, and again they rushed
into the hall This time they were met
by angry flames. They attempted to
battle with them, but uselessly, and
both were badly burned. They were
driven back to Mrs. Paige.s room, which
in the meantime had filled with dense
smoke. Only one hope was left and that
was to leap for life-siXty feet above the
pavementl-and the aid of Providence
only could lend the hope to reach safely.
1t required sublime courage to think of
the undertaking-it needed more "A
mothers love- Instantly arose before
her. her home, her husband, her children:
and with this love came resolve to do,
to dare, and out of it came a most daring
deed. Quickly she flung herself into the
window and chung to the slender support
it afforded. Then she unloosened her
hold, and was carried down. She knew
no more-everything was lost in the des-
cent through the air, and she awoke to
find herself in safe hands. In getting
out of the window she lost sight of Mrs.
Paige amidst the confusion and the chok-
ing, and binding smoke.
Contrary to expection, Mrs. Harlow
received.onlyssslight injuries from her fall.
In the attempt to reach the stairway, her
face and hands were badly burned, though
the Injuries do not penetrate below the
first cuticle, excepting two spots on her
hands. Her face received the lightest
injury. At 8 o'clock last night she was
resting quietly under the influence of
opiates, although her nervous system is
badly shattered The robes and blank
cts held beneath served materially to
break the fall, and her foot catching on
the capstone of the second-story window
was also fortunate in lessening the
of her descent.
Half an hour later and half dozen la
dies would have been added to the COM
pany in Mrs. Paige's room, and probably
half dozen more lives would have been
lost. Mrs. May had invited Mrs Folds,
Mrs. j. J. Sprague, and some other ladies'
to tea, and they were to visit in Mrs.
Paige's room while waiting tea. Mrs.
Folds was on her way to the Beckwith
House, but fortunately had stopped in a
few moments at her brother house where
she was when the fire broke out.
Mrs. May had gone over after Mrs. Spra-
que and the two were shortly to start for
the Beckwith House. Mrs Harlow had
just gone up stairs and got into Mrs.
Paige's room as the fire broke out
DR.. W. r. Bell, physician, who occu-
pied room 8 at the head of the stairs in
the third story, escaped by climbing from
the window. He broke the glass and
climbed out, where he hung by window
ledge until rescued by ladder from the
street. w. S. Bell, his agent, occupied a
room in the fourth story and made his
way to the ground by letting himself
down from window to window until he
reached the ground.