The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-04-03
Fought Fire at Alfred Under
hill Home Early This Morn
ing Where They Were Ex-
posed to Smallpox.
FIRE ALARMS AMOUNT TO
NOTHING AT PRESENT.
Department Cannot Respond
Owing to Orders Issued by
City Health Officer Bond
UnderhII's Marrow Escape.

While fire ragged in the room to the
rear of that in which he was confined
to his bed by smallpox. in the cellar
below, the room adjacent at the side
derhill the patient, lay and trusted
implicitly in the ability of Chief Mil
Ter and his band of fire fighters about
$50 O'Clock this morning. Paul is the
tWelve-year-old son of Mr.. and Mrs
Alfred Underhill. 1918 North f street.
The fire that damaged the house to the
extent of S40U endangered the lives of
all members of the Underhill family.
1t was discovered through the fortu-
nate awakening of another son. Levi
The cause is attributed to d defective
flue by Mr., Underhill.
Quarantine laws were ignored by the
fire department and the bright yellow
placard on the front of the house was
lost sight of in the rush to save the
property. The firemen and their
peerless leader" forgot whether or
not they were Vaccinated; they forgot
the penalty of breaking quarantine
and they forgot everything else except
their duty. In a ruthless manner they
swung their axes and picks and chop
ped through the walls of the frame
structure so as to reach the seat of the
blaze, which was between the wealth
er-boarding and the inside of the wall
In the effort to isolate Paul, as much
as possible, because of the nature of
his disease, the front room down
stairs had been converted into a bed
room and was occupied by the boy. 1t
had been the custom TO keep the doors
closed and none of the other children
were permitted to go into the room. A
fire had been left burning in this room
hen Mr.. and Mrs. Underhil retired
last evening, and this was the only
fire burning downstairs.
Above the library. which room is in
the rear of that occupied by the sick
boy is a bed room in which two little
sons, Jesse and Levi. slept last night.
About $50 O'Clock Mr.. Underhill was
awakened by Jesse, who informed his
father the room in which he slept was
full of smoke. Mr.. Underhill arose
hastily and awoke his two little daugh-
ters and Levi, then hastened down
stairs and aroused Mrs. Underhill. The
fire had not gained much headway and
Mr.. Underhill devoted his efforts to eX-
tinguishing it, but soon found he could
not combat the foe and telephoned for
the fire department. Smoke filled the
entire house and the family in its pre-
dicament was placed in a Quandary.
To open the door and seek refuge in
Paul's room was to run the risk of eX-
posure to the smallpox. He could
not be carried outdoors, as this expos
ure might prove fatal to him in his
weakened condition. The fire was
heard cracking all about them and the
smoke became thicker rapidly, as the
flames gained headway. The arrival,
of the departments proved the solution
Of the dilemma and salvation of the
imprisoned family. With unhesitat-
ing vigor the firemen attacked the
flames and soon had them under con-
troll. An examination afterward re
vealed the fact the fire had eaten its
way between the walls so that it com
pletely encircled the room occupied by
Paul. and had also burned the under
side of the floor of the room.