The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-02-07
CARB0NDALE
DEPARTMENT

into the interior OF the Stlll-Durnlns
house ut once, while the water was
ordered shut off from the line Of hose.
The invaders were in imminent risk
of their lives Tor the beams OF the
roof above them sagged threatenngly
and the back walls swaycd to and fro
In the high wind.
Nevcntly and tenderly the ice-coated
volunteers removed planks and beams
and ioists until they had uncovered
the victim. They found her lying flat
on her back. with both arms extended
into the air. Around her We're blan-
kets and quilts. as Ii she had been
carrying them from the bedroom ad-
joining the kitchen when she was over
come. The firemen quickly wrapped
her in one of the quilts and a half
dozen of them took their burden and
carried her out of the house and up
the hill to her niccc's home. Mrs. An
thony T.. Cook, while a messenger ran
ahead 20 prepare Mrs. Cook for the
tidings.
Mrs. Cook sWooned as soon as she
was told the terrible stoSy and was
completely Frustrated. for Miss Dryden
was the only relative she had In the
world and the old lady had been like
a mother to her. Last night the niece
was under n physicians care. seriously
III.
The death of Miss Dryden was prob
ably instantaneous 1t is surmsed
that she rushed back into the bed
room to find her little charge, becom-
ing bCwildcrcd and not realizing the
child was safe. for it was Florencc's
bed room that was next to the kitchen.
OR it may bc she desired to save some
thing from the flames, for the blankets
rear her Indicated that she had been
a. the bed room and was returning
through the kitchen when the upper
pare of tho house fell in upon her.
knocking her down and she was quick
lN SmOthorcd by the smoke.
Her hair was burned completely off
her head, her arms and shoulders and
bosom were burned, and her features
rendered indistinguishablc. The rest
of her body was not burned in the
slightest her clothing not being at all
sCorChed. From the position of the
body and the fact that only the upper
rortion was burned it would seem that
the ceiling and the second floor fell
upon her and buried her from the
Miss Dryden was housekeeper for
John Brown, a miner employed in the
Coalbrook mina His wife died about
| five years and 1t half ago, leaving him
two daughters Mary, aged II, and
| Florence. aged I. Mary was at school
| when the fatality occurred. and FloN
ence, who had been with Miss Dryden,
| was led out OF tn. house by Miss Flan-
,-,l, ~ ,t
work in the mine, the first day in two
weeks, as he had been home sick with
the grip until yesterday.
No one knows how tha fire originated.
! Miss Dryden had been baking bread in
the morning. The walls We're unplas-
| tered. but We're built up with boarding.
\ stove-pipe from the kitchen stove
led to the brick chimney and it Is
said that this was the only stove in
! the house. Miss Flannery says that
| when she first saw the fire it seemed
10 be upstairs in the floor over the
bed room. Not a thing was saved
from the house. all the furniture being
burned Two women of the Flannery
household yelled at the top of their
lungs for help while Miss Nellie fled
to ring an alarm. but it was some
minutes before their shouts attracted
attention.
The nremen suffered keenly in the
cutting wind. their clothes being
| shCathed with ice. Few We're equipped
with rubber coats, and their hats
shoes ana oVercoatS were soaked and
frozen stiff, while the snow retained
the water from the hose in puddlcs and
ponds several inches deep, in which
they had To stand while working.
No details pertaining to Miss Bry.
den could be obtained, beyond the fact
that she was born in Ireland, owing to
the serious condition of her only sur,
viving relative. She is spoken of IN
highest terms by her neighbors IA
being an atfectionate, loyal old woman
and Il good one. Her two charges
Mary and Florence Brown. regarded
her with the greatest affection. which
was returned in like measure by thl
old lady.
The damages caused to the house
and furnishings have not yet been esti
mated, but they will probably go abov,
$1,000.
This is the lirst death caused a fir,
in Carbondale in over forty years II
1858 OF 1859 a fire occurred in the af
ternoon in the old court house an,
city building here. which destroye,
them. The city jail was on the frs
floor. and It was occupied by n soil
tary prisoner, who is only remembered
by the old inhabitants by his nick
name of You Know. You Know.
Michael r. White was the city mar
shal and he had arrested this man 70
being drunk and locked him in "A eel
in the Jail Then he went away witt
the keys. There was "A straw tick II
the cell and in lighting his pipe "YoI
Know. You Know" set it aiiro. Tn
flames spread and a rush was mad
to find the marshal, But he had dis
appeared, There was no way to 60
the prisoner out and he was compcllu
to perish in fun view of many spccta
tors, franE>ally appealing and shoutin
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