Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1891-11-18
HORRIBLE.
A Family of Five Perish in a Ten
ement Fire,
Having Been Overlooked by the Fire
men and Others.
psscovcrcd In the Biackcn~d Ruin. Twelve
Hours Later Through the Anxiety OF
fricnd-A HORRIBLE sight In
the Chamber of Death.

able condition of the Columbus Fire
department was illustrated in a tragic
way Friday afternoon. when Il was dis
covered that the ruins of n burned ten
ement house. which had been left early
IN the morning by the tircmen. con-
tanned the blackencd and charrcd
corpses OF family OF five persons.
father mother and three little ones
At o'clock Friday morning fire was
discovered in the Hunt building. ON
High street few doors north OF Flow
crs enginc-house. and square and a
haif north OF the Union depot The
building was n two-story frame. the
first story occupied by four stores. and
the upper story by several families
The building and most 81 the goods
and merchandise were destroyed en-
failing loss of about Si5.0 Many
OF the occupants escaped In their night
clothes and lost all their personal prop
crty
The hrcmen turned their attention To
room occupied with store Of cloth
ing. but the building was made OF the
most inilammable material, and the
water made very little impression on
the flames. which had soon licked up
the wooden structure and done much
damage TO adjoining buildings
In the rooms over the south half OF
j. l. Wallock's china store lived the
family of Charles Bcthcard A report
was In circulation Friday morning that
some OF the children had been scorched.
but none of them were found. aud the
fireman seem to have made no search
for them. The family removed
TO Columbus from G-orgeville,
this county, only short
time since, and was not well
known. The father obtained employ.
ment rs teamstcr for John Minton, "A
South Side coal dealer II was noticed
yesterday that he was not at work.
but the fire explained that, and had 4,
not been for the solicitude of Mrs. Gar
rison, friend, the corpscs OF the un-
fortunate man and his family would
probably have remained undiscovered
until the stencil from their accompanying
bodies should attract attention to the
awful tragedy.
Mrs. Garrison went 90 the scene of
the fire in the morning and insisted that
an entrance should be effected to the
room where the family lived. but was
told that the place had been searched
and that no one was there. Learning
at Minton's place OF business that
Bethcnrd had not reported for
work. she returned at o'clock
Yesterday afternoon 90 the fire
and induced small boy by the name
of Fiddler 10 break into the half
destroyed apartment The boy pushed
his way over charrcd ruins into the
room, peeped under section OF fallen
roof and there witnessed a sight that
sent him white and staggering 20 the
Flowers engine-housc TO whisper TO
the hremcn OF the tragedy OF which he
had obtained but a glimpse. The fire
laddics rushed with axes TO the runs
tore their way into the room, and them.
selves looked upon the last scene OF the
agonizing affair.
Five burned and charred bodies. all
that was left OF the family OF Charles
Bethcard lay or knelt about the room
IN positions that but too plainly por-
traycd the dreadful agony OF that last
short struggle for life. The father, n
powerful man in life. lay stretched
upon the floor. His body covered that
of his oldest child, as II Ina an at
tempt TO shield her from the passion
OF the fire demon. The mother was
kneeling at the bedside, as IL she
had been overcome just as she sprang
from sleep. Her body was wholly nude
the flames having devourcd her night
clothes and scorched and cooked her
flesh into horrible condition. The
two younger children had met death i'm
the bed. The little things. for they were
but babies, had not the strength 20 at
tempt an escape, but had. with the
natural instinct OF self.preservation.
buried their faces in the bed clothes.
and tried in that way 10 get away from
the suffocating smoke and blistering
heat