The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-01-18
life LOST
At A FIRE
Patrick Stevens and HIS Home Con-
sumed by Flames.
CHASTITY DISCOVERY BY FIREMEN
Relatives Claim the Remains-The Victim
Was Alone in the House and The
origin OF the Fire is wholly a
Matter Of supposition.

At five minutes Of one O'Clock yesterday
morning the fire alarm bell sounded alarm
"43.'' The box from which it was sounded
is located at the corner of Cherry aud Gilbert
streets. The greater part Of the town was
wrapped in slumber bitter cold gales were
sweeping through the streets, and the alarm
did not seem to have much effect upon
people living outside the immediate vicinity
of the fire and the bell tower. A second
alarm followed the frst and it had the de-
sired effect. People locked to the scene by
hundreds.
The FIRE was located IN a two-story frame
structure at the rear of 432 West Cherry
street, and in the middle of the lot, which
runs back to Mayberry alley. It evidently
started in the midst Of inaammable material,
for when the first of the iremen arrived,
aud some Of them lived in the vicinity, the
building was in blaze. Among those who
first reached the house were William Marley
and Patrick Hughes. Seeing that all the
doors and windows of the house we're closed,
and upon being informed that Pat
rick Stevens, the sole occupant had not
been seen, the men forced open
a door on the southern side of the building.
1t was their intention to enter and rescue
Stevens, should they find him inside, but the
bursting open of the door revealed to them a
scene like a roaring furnace and it would
have been folly for anyone to enter the place
and attempt a rescue. Meanwhile the fire
company put two streams of water and two
lines Of chemical hose into play on the fire
and in about ten minutes succeeded in get
ting the fire under control. At the first
opportunity, and while the upper part of
the building was still in flames, a
squad of fremen entered the lower part and
found the charred remains of Stevens lying
upon the floor of the only room in that part
of the house. The feet of the corpse were
pointed TO the southern entrance and the
head to the north, and about three feet from
a range. The body rested upon a lot of rub
bish, evidently the burned remains of bed
ding. A half burned bed quilt was found
with them.
While some of the fremen continued
putting out the fire others made arrange
ments to remove the body, which was in a
frightful condition. TIL legs and arms were
burned to a crisp, the trunk was roasted so as
to make handling difficult, and the skull was
bare and white. A door was secured and the
remains were carried on it to the lookup.
The entire force of police was required to
make way for the men who carried the i'm
p~royised bier. Deputy Coroner Manley and
Undertaken O'Neill called at the lookup and
the former announced that an inquest would
be held this evening. Mr.. O'Neill took
charge of the remains and after he had
prepared them suitably they were transferred
to the residence of a sister Of the deceased,
Mrs. Bridget COyne, at Z South Jardin street,
from which place the funeral will take place
tomorrow morning, at 9 o'clock. There will
be high mass in the Aununciation church
and the remains will be taken to st. Clair
for interment.
The deceased was so years of age and a
bachelor. He lived alone and worked in
the mines. The house in which the fire
started, as well as the one on the Cherry
street end of the lot was owned by him. The
surviving nearest relatives are Mrs. Bridget
Coyne, Mrs. Timothy O'Brien, a niece, and
Mrs. Ann Seaman, Of Reading, a sister.
The fremen e%xtinguished the fire before it
communicated with any of the surrounding
properties, but the Stevens house was Quilted.
The origin Of the fire is unknown, but it is
quite likely that it was caused by q coal from
the range, or ashes from a pipe. Stevens was
seen vending his way homeward about an
hour before the alarm was sounded. During
the cold weather the man made his bed in
the room down stairs. The bedding was
about three feet from the front of the range.
1t is believed by some that the victim fell
asleep while smoking and ashes from the pipe
set the bedding on fire. Others think the
flames spread too quick for such a source and
that the bedding must have been set OIL. fire
by a hot cinder falling from the CRATE of the
range. When the firemen entered the build
ing the doors Of the range were open. The
positio3aG66 rt I'm me 55dX when found showed that
the victim made a sHRgle before death
overlook him. The feet were patty drawn
towards the trunk and the forearms were al
right angles with the body.