Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-01-16
EXPLODING LAMP
CAUSES FIRE

A house ON Third street, Welsh hill,
owned by the Reading Iron company
and occupied by William Owen, was
destroyed by fire early Sunday
morning. Nearly all the household
goods were saved.
The house burned was next to the
last house ON the west side of Third
street and occupied the highest point
of Welsh hill. 1t was a two-story
frame dwelling and contained five
rooms. The occupants consisted Of
William Owen, his wife and three
children.
The fire was caused by the explosion
of kaerosene lamp. One of the chill
dren being indisposed. when the family
retired Saturday night lamp, turned
down low, was left burning on the
landing at the top of the stairs.
About two o'clock Sunday morn
ing the lamp exploded. In an instant
there was fire, which spread so rapid
ly as to defy all attempts to extinguish
it. The family, aroused by the explos-
ion, did their best to smother the
flames and might have succeeded, had
the burning oil not run down between
the flooring and the chimney where it
ignited the woodwork inside of the
plastering
The neighbors were quickly aroused
and while some ran down town to get
word to the fire department others
formed bucket brigade and tried to
extinguish the fire. In a short time,
however, the flames burned through
the weatherboards on the north side of
the house. The high wind then blow
ing drove the flames back into the
house, where defying the bucket
brigade, they speedily ate their way
between the weather boards and plast-
ering and rapily enveloped the entire
house.
Meanwhile willing hands were busy
carrying the household effects out of
DOORS With the exception of one bed
every article in the house was saved.
The alarm of fire was promptly
sounded and the entire fire department
responded. The burning house, how
ever, was most difficult of access.
Aside from its outlying position, the
succession of hills leading to it had to
be reckoned with as we'll as the rain
that was falling and the mud and the
slush under foot, which made the way
doubly laborious.
The companies, however, all succeed
ed in dragging their apparatus to the
scene of the fire but they were too late
to render much assistance. The Good
will company succeeded in getting a
stream on the fire but it is claimed
that whether due to defect in the
fire plug or lack of pressure 1t was i'm
possible to throw the water to any
height.
The firemen, however, continued to
battle with the flames, but before they
succeeded in extinguishing them the
entire dwelling was burned with the
exception of portion of the first
story. The timbers, remaining, how
ever, are so badly burned and charred-
ed as to be worthless, and the structure
will have to be razed to the ground.
The residents of Slider hill were
early on the scene of the fire and,
pending the arrival of the fire depart
ment. worked hard both in attempt
ing to extinguish the fire and in carry
ing out the furniture.
Sunday Mr.. Owen and his family
found hospitable home with rela-
tives and friends. Their household
effects likewise were taken care of by
neighbors and were said to he scaterd
about over a large portion of Welsh
hill. 1t is fortunate, indeed, that
Mr.. Ovens loss was small, rs he car
ried no insurance on his household
| pOo6c