River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-01-02
ELEVEN BURNED TO DEATH.

Theodore Gross, His Wife and Eight Chill
dren, and Visitor Perish In the Flames
which Destroy Their Home in the Town
of Huron. Mich.
HoUGHroN, Mich, Dec. 30.-In the
town of Huron, where only few days
ago two women and babe were burned
10 death and nine buildings destroyed, an
other terrible fire occurred early Sun
day morning in which eleven persons
lost their lives, ten of them be-
Ing members of one family and
the eleventh a young lady Wis
itor. Theodore Gross, with his wife
and family. occupied small frame
house, which, 1t is supposed, was set
on fire by an explosion, although the
exact origin Of the fire will never be
known. OF its thirteen occupants eleven
persisted in the flames. The names of
the dead are:
Theodore Gross, aged 81: aiary Gross his
wife. aged AZ; Katie Gross, aged IS; John
Gross. aged 10; Anton Gross, aged 10; Mary
Gross. aged 10; Lizzie Gross aged 10; Joseph
Gross, aged o; Michael Gross, aged 8; Lena
Gross. aged 2; Lena Erb, young lady visitor
from Lake Linden.
Theodore Gross and wife, with their
eldest daughter Katie, went TO an old
peoples dancing party Saturday night,
returning home at 9 o'clock in the
morning and at once retiring.
Katie and Lena Gross occupied
the same room, which was on
the ground floor, and the other men,
bers Of the family we're sleeping in two
rooms on the upper floor. Theodore,
one of the sons, came home a quarter of
an hour later from his work at Tie
Huron stamp mill. He blew out the
lighted glass kerosene lamp and went to
bed in his room on the second floor.
About twenty minutes later he was
awakened by screams and cries of
fire" from his sisters. His brother
Nicholas, who occupied the same
room with him, was also awakened
by the cries, and both jumped
out of bed and tried to reach
the adjoining room, from which
the stairs descended to the first floor,
but the flames drove them back. They
then broke the glass in the only window
in the room, and but partially clad and
without any thing on their feet, jumped
to the ground without injury; A blind
ing snow-storm was prevailing at the
time and IL was very cold.
They attempted to burst in the doors
and windows of the lower story to
rescue the imprisoned family, but the
flames had made such rapid progress
that nothing could be done and they
could then hear no sound from within,
the family having all been smothered.
The young men then went to neigh
boris for assistance, but by the time
they returned the little building was a
heap of smoldering ruins, among which
rested the charred remains of ten mem
bers of the Gross family and the young
lady visitor, Miss Erb.
Great crowds were gathered all day
about the scene of the awful calamity
and the remnants Of the burned bodies
had all been recovered by noon. The
mass of steaminp flesh and bone was
placed on sled and carried to the fire
engine house.
The members of the family saved are
Nicholas, aged 90, and Theodore, aged
II years, who escaped, and Peter, who is
employed in the Osceola stamp mill and
who had not returned home before the
fire started. The only theory of the fire
is that a lamp exploded shortly
after it was blown out There are
rumors that the dreadful calamity was
the result of the carelessness of the
parents, who, il is alleged, returned
home intoxicated from the dance. The
children were all born in the house in
which they died