The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1899-09-13
BARN BURNED.
Miss Sibyl Hughes Burned While
PLAYING with Matches.


A fire commencing at about 10:45
O'Clock Sunday morning destroyed
the frame barn belonging to the
Mark Howard estate in the rear of
the residence property owned by
the same estate and occupied by
Postmaster George B. Hughes, in
the southwest portion of the city.
The alarm was turned in at just
1885. A large number of people on
the streets, as we'll as a number in
side of the churches, rushed to the
hose house on Third street, where
both hose carts were started off to
the scene of the fire, but owing to
the nearest hydrant being at the
Canada House, fully four blocks
away, and necessitating the coup
ling of the hose from both carts, no
water was turned on to the flames
until after the barn was completely
enveloped, and Hughes chicken
coop was on fire, and small out
building belonging to Mrs. Welch.
living near by. In the meantime a
number of people who had arrived
at the scene of the fire, commenced
flooding the roof of the residence of
Mrs. Welch, nearby, and saved that
house from being destroyed.
AS soon as a stream of water was
secured the fire was quickly checked
on the two outbuildings, although
the barn was completely destroyed.
The flames originated from match
es in the hands of Miss Sibyl
Hughes, the postmaster's five or
six year old daughter, and the little
one was quite seriously burned on
both arms. Mr.. Hughes returned
from St. Paul Saturday, and brought
with him a present for his daughter
in the shape of some blue point wax
matches, which Sibyl took delight
in showing. On Sunday morning
the postmaster went out in the
country on a prairie chicken hunt,
using his own horse for the trip,
and the little girl seeing that her
father was not around climbed to
the hay NOV, where she got to
playing with the matches, and set
fire to the hay.
Among the first to arrive at the
scene of the fire was S. J. Race.
Mrs. Hughes, half frantic, told him
that Sibyl was in the hay NOW and
begged him to rescue the child. He
rushed to the loft, which was filled
with smoke and fire, and CROPPED
around and called to the child, until
he was nearly suffocated. He re-
ceived no response, but heard some
one down stairs. He called for
assistance but received none. It
was impossible for him to remain in
the loft longer and he ealso concluded
that the child was not there, and
retired down stairs, where he found
the little girl lying at the entrance
of the east door, completely over
come and unconscious. He picked
her up and took her to her mother,
and the discovery was made that
the child's arms were badly burned.
Mr.. Race then returned to the barn
and pulled the buggy and sleigh,
and such other articles as he could
find out of the barn. He is of the
opinion that Sibyl was in the lower
portion of the barn when he went
up stairs, and the noise he heard
below was the child closing the
barn door.
The barn was insured for $4OO in
the National Insursnce Co. of Hart
ford, Conn.,, of which ]. B. Robin
son & Co. of this place are agents,
and OF which company the late Mark
Howard, whose estate owns the
property, was President. A coin
cident in connection with the insur-
ance is that it was written during
Mr.. Howard s last visit to Redwood
Falls, and while he was in Robinson
& Co. s Office, and the amount and
other details were dictated to Mr..
Hunter by MIR. Howard.
Hughes chicken coop and the
one story outbuilding of Mrs. Welch,
both badly damaged, were not in
sured.