The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-03-05
A Fearful Calamity at Mound
Fort.
THE SICKENING SIGHTS SEEN
A Fathers Anguish at His Terrible
Loss-Mrs. Shaw's Fearful
IDjuries-The Verdict,

City were aroused from their slumbers
by the awe-inspiring clang of the fire
bell and the bell on the Courthouse,
while the engines at the depot screechei
out the dread alarm. Those who at
that late hour had not retired peered
out and saw the reflection of the con-
hagration in the northwest part of town.
The fire companies turned out and we
on the spot with as much speed as was
possible. The scene of the fire was at
Mr.. Ambrose Shaw's farm, which is stu
ated in Mound Fort, a short distance
directly west OF the schoolhouse. The
origin of the fire is as yet unknown. but
1t is claimed that the fatal flames started
in the kitchen. MIR. Shaw's house wa
nne two-story brick structure and
contained four rooms. There was a
| porch on the front and balcony above.
| There were in the house at the time,
Mr.. Ambrose Shaw, his wife Minerva,
their four children-three boys and enc
girl-and a girl named Olive Naomi
Jones, q relative of Mr. Shaw's. Mr..
Shaw, his wife and the three bows, ,he
Oldest about 8 years of age, and the
youngest about6 months old, were sleep
ing in the south room up stairs, and the
girl Jones and Mr.. Shaw's daughter.
Mllly, occupied the north room. Mrs
Shaw was the first 10 discover the
existence of fire she Immediately
av oze her husband, VINO rushed down
stairs to investigate. On getting down
to tie gr, und floor he dis 2overt d that
he alone was unable to check the pro-
gress of the devouring element, and he
then turned to 90 up stars with the in
tention of rescuing his family. But the
flames were alre ady making rapid pro-
gress up stairs, their onslaught being
accelerated by the draught created by
the now open doors. He Therefore
rushed out on the porch. and called To
his wife to hand the children TO hlIu
| The lady succeeded in rescmng
the frightened and only half awake
boys. and then turned her at
tention to the girls. She fran
tically dashed into the room, while
the flames were greedily tapping the
walls with their lurid tongues and
dense volumes of smoke we're rolling up
through the floors. She seized the
inanimate form of the older girl, and
dragged her to the head of the stairway,
when she stumbled and fell; the lady
less if she wished herself TO escape
Mrs. Shaw by this time was frightfully
| burned her hands and arms were in a
frightful condition and her face had also
been burned considerably. She relin-
pushed all hopes of saving the chill
uren and with her hands sore and in
perfect jelly she clambered down
from the balcony the posts of which at
this time were RAPIDLY succumbing 10
the destroying element. The children
rescued, with their parents, had only
their night clothes to shield them from
the wintry air and the children. were
removed to the residence of the nearest
neighbor. Up to this time there were
very few people at hand and among the
first to arrive was MIR. Amos l. Stone,
Mrs. Shaw's brother The neighbors
quickly turned out as the report spread
and the firemen also arrived on the
scene. The house itself and its con
tents were totally destroyed and all
that could be done was to endeavor to
save the outhouses.
The firemen. however. were crippled
in their efforts to cor bat the flames,
because of the lnefficiency of the water
supply. In the granary large amount
OF grain was stored, in addition to a
large stock of potatoes. A small guam
titN the grain was saved, and the rest
was mt ch dam; ged by water and the
fire. The amount of the damage will
reach several thousand dollars, and
there was insurance on portion of the
total sum.
As quickly as possible search was
made Tor the remains OF the unfortu-
nate girls whom it was impossible to res
cue. Every possible effort IN this direc
ton was made; but it was of no avail.
Iii generally believed that the girl
Jones was dead from suffOcation when
Mrs. Shaw dragged her from her bed.
The remains of Mr.. Shaw's little girl
were found under where the bed stood,
and those of the elder girl on the other
side of the partition, her remains hav-
ing lain where Mrs. Shaw left them
and then had fallen through when
the floor gave way. All that was
lett of the victims TO this dreadful dis
aster vast the backbone of each and
small portion of the stomach of the
Jones girl. They were tenderly gathered
up and placed in separate receptacles to
await the coroner's inquest. Charred
and blackened, they presented an awful
spectacle, and strong hearts and men
of iron nerve sickened at the terrible
sight, while grief at the awful fate which
had overtaken the maidens was ex-
pressed by all who were present and saw
their charred remains gathered to-
gether.
Clothing for the boys and Mr. Shaw
was procured from town early yester-
day morning, and the sufferers were
made as comfortable as possible.
An inquest was held on the remains
of the unfortunates III morning,
and verdict rendered 10 the, fleet that
"they came to their death accidentally,
the house in which they were living
having caught fire, and from the evl-
dence it appears it was impossible to
rescue them"
About the same time that the cor
oner arrived, Mr.. Jones, of North Og
den, the father Of one of the victims, ar
rived. He had been telephoned for, but
ND to the time of his arrival at the scene
OF the disaster, he was not aware tnat
his daughter had persisted. As soon as
he drove into the gate he received
the crushing intelligence that MS
daughter had succumbed, ami that all
that remained of her was charred
.n1 blackanad crisn he WAS totally