Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-15
.NEARLYSUFF0CATED
Mario" Escape Of Mr.. and
Mrs. John Emery
From Death by Suffocaticn in Burn
ing Home, Sunday Morning.
Mrs. Emery Very III and Carried from House..
Loss About $1,000.

The fire department was callc,, out n;
1.dG yesterday morning. to ,xtin.uisf
4 IRE at A. Maple street i'll Gwellins
mousse owned by Bowditch d Webster
ana occupied by John Emery. |, is no,
| KNOWN how the fire originated. but il
came Vcly near smothering both Nj.
anu MS Emery before il Was discov-
| cred by the latter. 1t seems that Sh.
mas been very sick with heart trouble
ana was unable to move. Her nusbano
was sleeping on Il lounge in the sam.
| room that she occupied. AS his slec,
mad been very much broken lately, ON
| ing TO the illness of his wife. he slep;
very soundiy.
When she aWoke. about lz5 A. NJ
mrs. Emery WAS 50 far overcome by
| the smoke that she could not speak
aloud and as she could not leave her
bed she had some difficulty in arousins
her husband. When ne did awake the
room was so filled with smoke that he
could not see across ii ana it was al
most impossible 10 breathe.
At last he found the door opening in
TO the next room, which he opened
only to let in Il volume OF smoke even
worse than before. but he succeeded III
getting out, when he called up two of
his neiShbors, one OF whom rang in an
alarm. while the other went back with
him to help carry out his wife.
An entrance was effected through q
window, but she could not be taken
through it. so they had to carry her
through the door. When they reached
the yard it was thought that she was
a wing hn ~ ~
ground. She soon recovered Il little.
and was considerably improved. yester-
day. though her condition was still
critical.
The alarm was rung in al 1856 and
the department We're on the spot in a
very short time. Owing to kink in
the chain the whistle did not sound the
four complete rounds. 1t was found
that the fire had started in the cellar
where ii had gained good Roadway be-
fore the arrival of the department. The
door to the cellar at the back of the
house and 4 window at the front Of the
house We're smashed in and the water
turned on. In short time the fire
was under control and at 2.41 the ''all
out was runS in, though stray spark
or two must have been left. for small
place was found to be on fire in the
front hall at y. NJ.
The fire seems to have started near
the chimney al the south side of the
house, but il cannot be laid to a defec-
tive Hue. for there had been no fire in
any stove connected with that CHM
ney since Friday evening. The fire eX-
tended from this spot all around so
that the Sheathing on two sides of the
cellar. and the ceiling and the floor
timbers were nearly all gone and many
holes were burned through the floor.
The contents of the cellar were almost
completely destroyed by the fire or wa
ter or both. While apples 10 feet from
the fire were completely baked. as
though IN an oven.
Up on the first floor there was
scene OF confusion. A large part of the
furniture had been carried out and was
piled in shed. The paint was all
biistered and smoked. while the paper
and ceiling here and also on the sec
ond floor were 50 grimed with smoke
that it will require new paper and
whitewash all over the house. The
bedding in all the rooms was SO i'm
pregnated with smoke as to be nearly
worthless.
The loss on building and furniture
will amount to about $1,000 covered by
an insurance of $500 on the building
and $500 on the furniture.