Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1901-05-28
A Midnight Fire At St. Margarets--
The Home of DR.. Zach. RidOut
Is Now In Ashes.
THE FAMILY ESCAPE IN THEIR
NIGHT CLOTHES.
Everything Is Consumed By The Fire
DR.. RidOut And Son Are Badly
Burned--C -Charred Trunk
Of Horace RidOut
Found In The
Ruins.

A pile of ashes, heap OF debris, bits
Of chaued furniture, melted silver and
discolored glassware. are all that is LETT
at ST. MaIgaret's, in the Third district,
to tell where a comfortable. happy home
stood, only yesterday. and. until 3 o clock
this morning; once the residence of DIR.
Zachary d. Ridout. which was burned
to the ground at an early hour this morn
ing, and which disastrous fire cos, the
life OF the Doctors brother, Mr.. Hora,io
S. Ridout.
The market men brought the news OF
the hre TO town early this morning, and
It soon spread, and with il the awfulness
OF last nights conhagration, in which
one human life was lost and seven Other
barely escaped. Al 8 80 o'clock this
morning the family OF DR.. Zach. Ridout.
consisting of himself. his wife, three chill.
dren, Mrs. Nellie Ridout. Mr.. lanes
Ridout and Mr.. Horatio S. Ridout. were
awakened by smoke and soon discovered
the house to be on fire. and their escape
to the stairway barred by flames.
ESCAPE OF THE FAMILY.
Suddenly aroused 20 the gravity of the
situation, the members OF the house
hold sought the best means for escape.
DIR. Ridout, with his wife and three chill
dren, escaped through windows at the
back OF the house, while his brother,
Horace. endeavoring TO save his uncle.
James Ridout, who was aged and a crip.
pie, carried him out the front window on
the ROOT OF porch, and thus secured his
escape from the house, then enveloped
In flames. In the meantime, DR.. Ridout
had assisted in rescuing his aunt, Mrs.
Nellie Ridout, OF which Mr.. Horace
Ridout knew nothing, and believing his
aunt in the burning building, he went
back at the risk of his life to save that
OF another. This was the last seen of
him alive.
The Doctor called to his brother that
all were saved, but he never knew this
DIR. Zach. Ridout and his son ventured
into the flames to rescue the brother and
uncle, and were pulled out by MIR. Frank
Duvan. Both father and son are badly
burned. DR.. Ridout's beard was burned
of, and he is seriously burned about the
neck, hands and wrists. 1t is also feared
he has inhaled the flames. Zach. Ridout.
Jr. is badly burned about the hands.
FINDING THE REMAINS.
Al o'clock this morning the charred
trunk OF Mr.. Horatio Ridout was found
IN the ruins al the foot of the stairway by
Mr. Macy, of ST. Margarets, who was
assisting in the search tor the body. The
head. arms and lower limbs were entirely
consumed, and all that remains of the
once genial, affable Christian gentleman.
who risked his lite to save that of be-
loved relative, is this charred trunk. 1t
was carefully taken from the ruins and
placed in box, and will be inferred in
ST. Margaret's cemetery tomorrow after
funeral services at the church.
The deceased was a widower, and
leaves one son, Frank X. Ridout. who
is employed as fireman by Carlin Co. at
the Naval Academy. Mr.. Ridout was
real estate agent. with an office in the
"Southard Building, Church Circle
He was well connected and is a descend.
ent of Jonn Ridout, the secretary of Gov
eTnor Sharpe, and heir to White Hall. Ii
was through him that the sale of White
Hall TO Mrs Story was consummated.-
Being a widower, and his son living in
Annapolis, the deceased made his home
with his brother at St. Margaret Sd riv-
ing to town every day. His brothers are
Grafton d. and Weems Ridout, of the
Rrm OF Rdout Bros, OF this city; Charles
D., Zachary d. and Frank H. Ridout.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The origin OF the FIRE is unknown. but
it is thought to have originated in the
kitchen, and to have caught from the
kitchen stove. When the inmates dis
covered the FIRE and were suddenly
aroused by smoke and flames, the entire
lower floors were burnt out and two hours
later the frame fell in.
The house being frame, with a tin
roof. burnt like tinder, and lighted up
the heavens Tor miles around. The heat
was intense. and had not the rain of the
past week thoroughly wet the outbuild.
ings. they too would have been destroy
ed. The family barely escaped in their
night clothes and not a vestige of furni-
ture and clothing was saved.
The family were taken to the house OF
Mr. Frank Duvall. and large supplies OF
clothing and things to make them com
portable were taken to St. Margaret's to-
day by Messrs. Grafton d. and Weems
Ridout, of this city. Tomorrow the un-
fortunate family expect to locate in a
house owned by their deceased relative,
Horatio Ridout. Mr.. Frank Duvall was
the first TO reach the scene of the FIRE,
and he was quickly followed by the Rev.
Alex. Gault, rector of ST. Margaret S
parish. The house is valued at 81 .ooo
which is partly covered by insurance
the furniture at 81 900; no insurance.