Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-09-28
H[RHA|R TURNED NHIE
Terrible Effect of Tragedy
Which Resulted in Five
Deaths at Fort Dodge
MOTHER is cRAzED WITH GRIEF
Hair Said to Have Suddenly Turned
White on Learning Of the Awful
Fate Of All Her Children = Some
Talk That the Fire Was Of Incen-
diary Origin.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to mes-Republican.
Fort Dodge, Sept. 2S.-The funeral
arrangements for the five children
burned to death Wednesday morning
are not yet completed. The four
Adamson children will probably be
taken to the Swedish Bethlehem
church Friday morning at 10 and two
of the bodies will be uncovered, so that
friends may see them. The other two
bodies will not be uncovered, because
of the horrible condition they are in.
The funeral of these children will be
on the same afternoon at 2. The flu
neral arrangements for the Pecord
child are not yet known. The four
brothers and sisters will be buried in
one big grave, the little caskets being
laid side by side.
Mrs Adamson, the mother Of the
four children, has been in the care of a
doctor since the horrible catastrophe.
1t is reported that her hair is perfectly
white and that she Is in a condition OF
insanity from which she will never re-
cover These reports cannot be con-
firmed, as no one is allowed to see the
bereaved mother, and those who have
been with her all day have not yet left
her bedside The father is a broken
down man, being almost a physical
wreck. When he first saw his children
after they were taken to the morgue,
strong man that he was, he broke down
and sobbed like child. Pacing the
floor constantly, he tried to control his
feelings, but when he would see the
blackened form of one Of his loved
children he could not control himself.
The horrible shock he received after
going to work that morning with
everything looking bright, was enough
to break down any man and Adamson
was man fond of his family and his
home. He is employed as engine fore
man in the Minneapolis g. st. Louis
yards, and is well liked by everyone
because Of his universal good humor
and his friendly actions. His terrible
grief is all the harder for his friends
who can pity the father and mother,
but who can do nothing to ease their
grief.
The father and mother Of Raymond
Pecord are also broken down by their
grief, but, as Mrs. Pecord says, II am
trying to bear up for Mrs. Adamson's
sake. My sorrow is horrible, but /
have other children left, while all Of
Mrs. Adamson's We're taken at one
blow"
The condition Of the five little bodies
was enough to sicken any man. The
older girl, Edna Adamson, is in horrf-
BILE condition. She is the one who
went to the window in an effort to get
help, but was forced back into the
seething flames when rescue was near
The body of the little girl was hard
ened by the flames, and is like a rock
now. After being taken to the morgue
extremely hot water oozed from her
mouth. Her hair was burnt badly,
while her face was blackened by the
flames and smoke. The hands of every
child were badly burned, evidently due
to their puny efforts to keep the flames
from their faces. The arms and bodies
were also burnt worse than was their
faces.
Inez, the next oldest child, and Earn
est, the youngest boy, were still in bed,
their heads being buried in the burned
pillows when taken from the room by
Fireman Jim Long. Clarence, the 9TH
er child, was in another room, evident
ly having tried to get away from the
flames. The little Pecord child was
found in the same room. He had been
entirely dressed by his mother before
going over to the neighbours to play
with the children. His waist and other
clothing above the hips had been burnt
from his body, while his shoes were
also badly burned. His face is covered
with red masses which show that the
flesh was burned by the flames. Two
Of the other children were almost I'M
recognizable, their faces being horri-
bly, burned by the flames.
While 1t is generally thought that
the fire was due to the explosion Of a
gasolene stove, the absence of any
proof that It did, is keeping the officers
investigating. Mayor Bennett in a
he considered the gasolene stove the
DRY to be the true one, yet the theory
that the fire was due to incendiarism
would be thoroughly investigated.
He said that the great number OF
fires recently has aroused every one
and the suspicious things surrounding
several of them has made it necessary
to look the matter up thoroughly. Fort
Dodge has had an average of over a fire
a day for a week and this following
weeks when there was no fire, has
aroused the property owners and needs
investigation.
Not in That Class.