The Portland daily press., 1884-10-25
HEARTRENDINa.
Terrible Casualty at Fire on Nun.
joy Hill Last Night.
TWO SMALL CHILDREN PERISH
HN THE FLAM ES OF A BURN
ING DWELLING,

| Among all the fires with which this city has
| been visited. none have been attended with
4 more saddening result than that which occur
red in the rear of Merrill and Quebec streets,
| during the early part of last evening. Will
lam I. Pancoast, who resides in story and
half house there, is in the employ of Burgess.
Fobes q Go. year ago he came to this city
| from Cincinnati, where his mother now lives.
After he had finished his work for the day
| he sat down and wrote a letter to his mother,
| saying that he was contsnted and happy, and
was getting along nicely. His two youngest
children were put to bed early, and as was the
usual custom, kerosene lamp was left burn
| ing In the chamber, so that the wants of the
little ones could be attended to at moments
| notice.
All was quiet in the little household, and
shortly after o'clock Mr.. Pancoast started
| out to see physician. but hardly had the gate
closed behind him, when the door of his house
was thrown open and his wife called out, "The
house is on fire. He immsdia tely ran back
and entered his dwelling, aud was Mortified to
see the upper story in flames. His little ones
were in the upper part OF the house, and his
feelings can only bs imagined as the flames
roared upward and ont through the windows.
Psucoast, with all the strong and noble in
stincts of paternity aroused, needed little the
terrible danger to which he was exposed; his
heart was with his little ones, crying their ago.
nies as the scorching flames crept on toward
their bed. He dashed up the stairs and made
desperate struggle to rescue them, but, alas,
the choking smoke and intense heat overcame
him, and he fell to the floor near the bed he
had struggled so noby to reach. Seeing how
futile we're his efforts TO rescue his children,
and the thought that his wife might be in
peril, he crawled from the chamber of death
to the head OF the stairs, his blistered hands
and face and singed hair showing how bravely
he attempted to rescue his dear ones. But lit
tie Clifford and Amy were gone.
Soon was heard shouting outside, ringing
of bells, and ladders and hose streams were
thrown against the roof; the fire department
had arrived at the scene. The flames had made
serious inroads in the upper story. and had
communicated to the roof of a neghboring
house, occupied by Eliphalet Greeley. 1t was
a stubborn fight, but at last the hose streams
began to tell, and Fireman Frank Canales, of
Portland No. 2, in company with Assistant En-
gineer jackson, entered the fateful room aud
secured the bodies of the little ones, smoke
begrimed and shockingly burned. The deter.
mined Canales, In his efforts to reach the bod
les, was quite badly burned about his hands
and arms. 1t was not until past nine o'clock
that the all out signal was given, but detail
of fremen remained at the scene to render any
needed assistance.
The house in which the fire originated was
owned by John Lincoln. The supposition is
that the fire was caused by the overturuing or
the explosion of the lamp.
The bereaved father and mother, with their
two remaining children, were tenderly cared
for by the sympathizing neighbors. The bod
les of little Clifford and Amy, aged 2 and 4
years, were taken to the house of Mr.. Joel
Bibber, No. Al Lafayette street, and later were
taken in charge by Undertaken Rich. Coron-
er Gould, who was summoned, did not deem
an inquest neces sary.