Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-08-30
coFF1Ns GROVE.

afternoon our neighborhood was thrown
into considerable excitement by the
burning of Henry Utley's barn. 1t seems
it was set on fire by his little four year
old son with some matches, which he OBJ
tanned in some manner unknown. At
about the time people were getting
home from meeting at the school house
the barn was one mass of flames in the
end where the hay was located. When
the fire was first discovered by III. Davis |
and wife, who were passing by, Mrs. |
Davis jumped from the buggy and ran
into Utley's house and told them the |
barn was on fire, and said, " are your
children all here safe?" They found
that the four year old boy, Miles, was
missing. A wild search resulted in
Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Abbott discover
ing him standing in the door away up
in the peak of the roof of the burning
barn, screaming with all his might.
They could see the flames behind him
and creeping out from under the caves
and through the cracks they ran as
near as they dared and told him to jump
and they would catch him, he hesitated
for moment then put his little hand
on rope hanging before the door and
jumped out. Mrs. Harris caught him
before he reached the ground and he
was not hurt bit or burned any to
speak of.
| When Cliff, Mr.. Utley's sixteen year
old son heard the barn was on fire, he
ran to the barn and liberated the horses
and secured an armful of harness and
ran out with it, he went three times in
succession and succeeded each time in
obtaining things of value, when Mrs.
Davis stopped him the fourth time just
as the roof fell in. Mr.. Utley mayibe
justly thankful that his boys were
level headed enough to save all they
could before the roof fell in. by this
time his near neighbors had arrived, Con
sisting of men women and children and
they worked like Trojans to save the
house. The wind was blowing gale
right towards the house and Charles
Abbott's buildings across the road, and
everything as dry a. finder They wet
quilts and laid on the house roof and
sides and pumped his well dry and all
the water from Charles Abbott's we'll
that could be spared from there, as they
were throwing water on their buildings
to keep them from taking fire. Mr. Alb
bolt was absent and Mr.. Rider and Mr..
Master helped Mrs. Abbott to care for
their buildings and they succeeded in
keeping them wet until the sparks from
the barn ceased flying through tie air
and the danger had somewhat subsidized
People came for miles around and did
all in their power to assist Mr.. Utley
and he feels very grateful and returns
his thanks for their kind and courteous
treatment, and for their services which
were so generously given and SO greatly
desired.
The barn was past saving before he
knew it was on fire. The loss was quite
heavy as the barn contained all of his
hay, together with four stacks of oats
near the barn, also two wagons and
other things valuable to the farmer. The
house and its contents was saved intact
and dear ones life was saved. We
learn that he had some insurance but
not enough to half cover the loss. His
neighbors, some of them, staid all night
and brought water from Mr. Riders
and elsewhere and kept his other stack 8
wet to prevent them from catching fire.