Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-01-15
AWFUL FIRE
AT BERWICK

Al BERWICK
For an hour and half yesterday
morning, Berwick was in the grip Of
the worst fire in years. Five business
places and two dwelling houses were
burned to the ground. One life was
lost while another suffers serious in
jury.
The fire started at midnight in the
drug store of DR.. Gross Meyer. 1t is
supposed that the fire was caused by
the exploding Of somo chemical. No
other cause can be assigned. The
flames were first discovered by a man
named Lohman, clerk for George Tn
angst, who was sleeping in the first
floor of the second door below. He ran
to the Ranger hose house where he
gave the alarm to the Ranger company.
As the Ranger boys passed Unangst's
restaurant, thoy saw a man dive
through the glass of a second story
window, landing at the feet of B. f.
Sponenborg, who helped him to his
feet. The man proved to be Daniel
RolandS.
He was taken in dazed condition
to the st. Charles Hotel when, in a
moment Of consciousness he cried out,
" My GOD, my wife - Then it was
that it was realized that woman was
yet i'll tha burning building.
When William Roher, who has charge
Of the steam shovel at the steel plant,
and Thomas Fairman, came running
up Market street, Roher said to George
Unangst, rs there anyone i'm the
building:"
"There was a woman up there in
the front room. -
Without a moments hesitation Roh-
er, by a remarkable exhibition of
strength, caught the iron bar of the
awning, swinging himself onto the
bar and jumped through the very
window that the man jumped out of.
into the burning room.
Even then the room was a mass of
flames.
The struggle to reach the woman is
told i'll Rohcr's own words
"When l got into the room was
unable to see anyone. The smoke and
flames were binding. The heat was
intense, Seeing light on the street |
ran to the other window and kicked
out the glass. | was unable TO find
anyone. | ran to the window and call
ed out, Are you sure there is anyone
here.
Men who heard that call say it will
reverberate to their dying day.
Unangst shouted in reply:
Yes, there is a woman there. .
"Then turned, " continued Roher.
land groped around in the room. The
flames grew fiercer at every second. |
made my way from one corner of the
room to the other, reaching out with
my feet. Finally my feet came in
contact with what thought were bed
clothes. | reached down and picked
up the body Of the woman, her face
downward near the middle of the
room
Even then the mans marvellous
presence of mind did not forsake him.
''Get blanket nc cried \ blank
ct was quickly taken from a horse at
tached to the Reliance hose cart.
Even before the blanket appeared
the flames had become so very fierce
that his life had become in imminent
danger. Already ne had started to
lower the woman from the window
Grabbing one end of the blanket
Thos. Fairman jumped to the steps of
Geo. Unangst. DR.. Coble, Geo. Rob
bins and Tom Van Pelt took the other
side and Frank Rough took the other
side.
Roher was then holding the body by
the feet and reaching up, Thomas
Fairman grabbed her by the arms and
said, Let go. She struck the blank
ct with so much force that Fairman
was thrown to the ground, the body of
the woman falling on top OF him.
The woman was about burned to a
crisp. Her face was a mass of charred
black surface Her hair was burned
from her head and her arms, as Thorn
as Fairman caught her, were so badly
burned that her flesh clung to Fair
man 5 fingers. She never regained con
sciousness and at 3 40 O'Clock yester-
day morning she passed away.
When the firemen first appeared on
the scene the fire was confined TO the
drug store. Just as they had succeed
ed in connecting the hose they heard
a terrific report followed by crash.
The flames spread in both directions.
The water seemed as SO much oil. The
firemen worked fearlcsslv and bravelv.
The grocery store of Clark & Scott on
the right, on the left the harness shop
of Geo. Seybert and the residence of
James Seesholtz was followed by the
igniting of the homes Of George Rab-
ert and w. f. Kepner. In the base
ment of the SecshOltz building was a
shooting gallery owned and operated
by George Unangst. In the building
were a number of cartridges and in q
trice a fusillade Of infantry, scattered
the crowd in al directions. The pop
ping of the cartridges kept up for ten
or fifteen minutes.
Nothing bat ruins mark the location
of the buildings. There are but q few
upright timherS.
During the time when aid was most