Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-08-12
BURNED BEYonD RtcoenlIIol
Girls Mother Has Marrow Escape
jured-eiaze Originated by the Elk
riosion Of Gas-One Of Dead Girls
Was. Soon to Have Been Married.
(By Associated Press)


WHEELING. w. VA. Aug. LES.
Gaping gas In a building on South
EOf7 street occupied by Mrs. !. s.
Gavin. as a millinary store and resi-
dence. caused a fire early today which
resulted in the death or three per-
sons. and the possible fatal injury OF
another while six more were COMPEL
ed to jump from the third story win.
dows to escape the flames.
The dead: Clara Gavin, p years
old; Mamie Gavin, 90 years old. Mar
aaret Gavin. 81 years old. The in.
jured: Mrs. J. s. Gavin, bruised and
back injured
The dead girls were daughters OF
Mrs. Gavin and were sufficated as they
slept on the third floor Two ser
want girls and four sons Of Mrs.
Gavin jumped from the third story
windows and escaped with minor in
juries.
The two upper floors of the tslilding
were ablaze when the fire was dis
covered and all means Of escape for
those asleep were cut of before they
were awakened.
Caused by Escaping Gas.
The building was three story
l,tr uos.-.~, ss.S ns st nOos v~sns uocu -
a dry goods store and the second and
third floors being occupied az a dwei-
ling house by Mrs. Gavin who ia a
widow, her sons. who conducted the
store. her daughters and the servants.
1t is supposed that on the second
floor there was an escape of gas from
an unnoticed leak and that, this gas
suffocated the three daughters before
the explosion followed which set the
building on fire.
About $3.50 O'Clock neighbors discov'
cred that the Gavin building was on
fire. An alarm was sent in but when
the department arrived the roof was
falling in and was carrying with II
everything to the first floor. The
mother jumped from q second story
window and sustained internal .intu
ries. -- .-
When the roof fell taking with II
the third floor and its contents, II
also carried to the first floor the bod
les of the three young women The
department aided by volunteers. made
every effort possible to reach the tod
les but were driven back time afteI
time by the heat and the fierceness
Of the flames.
charred Bodies Removed.
When finally removed from the
smOuldering ruins, after several hour!
work. the bodies Of the three victims
were found to be burned almost be
yond Identification.
Mrs. Gavin was not told Of tn
death of her daughters for some time
because of her own serious condition
She was Frustrated when finally TOD,
Of their fate.
Miss Clara Gavin was engaged {,
be married to o Wheeling man In tn
near future
= The. escape Of Mrs. Gavin's foui
sons. John. Timothy, Charles ans
Thomas was thrilling. They mad
their way through the binding smok'
to q 'front.' window dropped 10 an avn
ing below and reached the ground I'm
injured. A servant girl and a g;r
friend spending the night with he
escaped in the same manner.
Mrs. Gavin, after making an upsuc
cessfal effort 70 rescue her daughter
found her way to . side window ant
Jumped to q roof twenty feet below
alighting on her feet with slight bruis
81 and . sprained hack. She VA
taken from the roof on o ladder bu
her rescuers stumbled snd both fell
The property loss n about $1,000
partially covered BY Insurance.