The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-12-03
The Victims We're Mrs. Il. I. CrOS-
man and Her Daughter.
Two Other Children
Badly Burned.
Preparation Of Tar and Naptha
Exploded on Stove.

The alarm OF fire from box 9l2 at ~
O'Clock Saturday afternoon called the
firs department in the Deering district
20 a fire which, while not extensive re-
sultsd In two deaths. AS a result OF the
IRE. Mrs. Hattie E., wife of Herbert Il
Crosman, and her six year old daughter
Ethel were burned to death and beyond
recognition. The house occupied by Mr.
Crosmau and family, which consisted OF
himself and three children, is a two and
a half story, double fiat roof building
located on Sawyer street at Woodiords.
The house Is numbered Is and 30. The
lower half or number IS, was occupied
by sir. Alonzo ThompsoD.a brakeman on
the Boston and Maine railroad, with his
wife and four children, and brother
who boards with the family. The house
is owned by Can't. Moses nj. Gould OF
Munjoy hill and was undergoing repairs
on the roof. Capt. Gould and a rooter
named +. A Hayford were at WORK on
the roof engaged in tarring and making
necessary repairs 1t seems that only
short time before the fire broke out, Capt.
Gould and Mr.. Hayford had carried
quantity of prepared tar, the substance OF
which was largely composed OF naptha,
into the Crosman side of the house and
asked permission to heat the tar on the
kitchen stove. The tar was placed In
kettle on the stove and the captain and
the workman returned to the roof. AT
the time, Mrs. Crosman was at work In
the kitchen AMI two of her children were
Al,o nj
and Ethel, six years of age.
Mira Thompson, the occupant OF the
other half of the house, had gone TO the
city accompanied by three Of her childran
and had left her young son, Raymond
Thompson, about six years of age to play
with the Crosman children.
1t was only short time after the tar
had bean put onto the stove that Mr.. Ar
thur l., smith motorman on the Ocean
street line OF the Portland railroad com.
pany, who lives In the house above the
Crosman residence, heard an explosion
and In an instant beheId flames bursting
from the windows of the Crosman tene-
ment, Mr.. Smith was at one time fire
fighter being q member of the ID eering
fire department, and lost no time In send
ing in an alarm. Before the alarm had
sounded. Hose eight had received still
alarm call and was Fastening to the
scene of the fire. Motorman smith, as
soon as he heard the crash OF the fire and
explosion, rushed TO the Crosman resi-
dence to rescue, II possible, the inmates.
He attempted to enter the back door but
that was fastened with spring lock
Mr.. Smith was not delayed by this, but
put his shoulder against the door and
forced 1t open. As he opened the door
into the entry and started to open the
Kitchen door he was confronted by great
cloud OF smoke and flame. He could hear
the cries of the children. whose clothing
was all in flames, ana looking behind the
kitchen door found one of the children
crying pitsously. He grabbed the child
and rolled 1t out onto the wet ground,
thereby extinguishing the flames about
its clothing. He then stepped back into
the entry and looking behind the door
where he thought he heard q voice, he
discovered 1t to be fact, and promptly
reasoned a second imperilied person. Mr..
Smith next tried to gain entrance to the
kitchen to look for the mother and other
child, but the fire was raging SO that no
human being could live in IL, even had
there been no smoke to choke and blind
the rescuer.
or course all of this happened in n very
few moments and by the time that the
two children had been rescued, the fire
department had commenced to arrive on
the scene.
to the burning house. BY the presence
az mind of Motorman Smith that gentle
man had after resouing the two children
gone around to the front door, In hopes
that he might reach the kitchen through
the sitting room door. but finding 1t i'm
possible he closed all the doors so that the
IRE was confined to the kitchen and ell
of the house. The fire was maging rapid
headway through the building and the
firemen were fighting with win to
check the flames, and II possible to res91e
Mrs. Crosman and her young daughter.
Assistant engineer Of the fire depart
ment, Richard g. Smith, and sx-Chief
Frank B. Moody OF the former Deering
fire department, in going from the sit
ting room into the kitchen, opened the
burning door and finding that ii did not
open readily pushed it In and 1t was then
that the discovery of the bodies of Mrs.
Crosman and her little daughter was
made. Mrs Crosman's body lay PROSTATE
over one corner OF the kitchen sink.
Lying In the corner near the door which
the engineers opened was the lifeless
body Of little Ethel. The bodies had been
badly burned, in fact were burned be-
yopd recognition, Coroner II. l.. Lit
tlefield arrived and took charge Of
the bodice Coroner Littletisld ordered
the bodies turned over to Undertaken W.