The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-07
LIVES SAVED
BY WARNING
OF HOUSE CAT
Animal AWakenS Inmates of
Burning House in Time to
Permit Escape.
OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE
UNDOUBTEDLY PERISHED
MOTHER SUCCEEDS IN ARGUS
ING CHILDREN AND GETTING
THEM OUT OF BUILDING.

A house cat saved five members of
Philip Kopp's family from suffocating to
death in the smoke from a fire I'm the
old Sam Regal house at 223 West Fifth
South street. Had it not been for the
cat the house would have burned and
the Kopps would have persisted.
The fire started in the rear of the house.
The cause is not known All Of the rooms
quickly filled with smoke. Into the room
in which Mrs. Kopp slept the house cat
had cFept some time during the evening
and her presence there was not noticed
When Mrs. KOpp retired. The choking
smoke pouring into the chamber caused
great distress to the animal It leaped
upon the bed and clawed frantically al
the covering in search Of some place to
escape the fumes.
Awakened in Time.
Mrs. KOpp was awakened by the claw
ing of the animal Faint and chOked with
the smoke, she CROPPED her way from the
bed and awakened her husband. She then
aroused her two daughters. Freda and
Augusta, and her son. Frederick.
Although she was almost fainting with
weakness. fear for the safety Of her chill
dren buoyed the mother until all the
members of the family were safely from
the house. She was then carried to the
home of Mrs. Price at 215 West Fifth
South street.
The Kopps escaped from the burning
dwelling with scanty apparel and MlN
Kopp left a large sum of money in her
bedroom, forgetting her hOardings in hes
anxiety to save her son and daugh-
tiers.
Alarm is Given.
When young Frederick Kopp was awak-
ened he Ieaped from his bed and, thrust
! ing his head from Il window. yelled for
/ help.
A young man in a neghboring house
heard the call and discharged six shots
/ in the air from lev"iver. hoping TO at
/ tract attention.
/ His efforts were not unavailng Lpuis
/ Humbert Price. son Of Mrs Price, who
occupies the adjoining dwelling, heard
/ the reports of the pistol. Not knowing
/ what was amiss, he got up from bed
/ and called up police. headquarters, eX-
planning that the shots indicated that
there was trouble in the neighbOrhoOd.
He then went outside ana, finding that
/ the KOpq house was afire, returned TO
/ the telephone and seat in an alarm TO
About this time z. a. Holt of 5O4 South
Main street was passing. He saw the
blaze in the house and was huTrytng to
notify the fire Department when he
/ learned that an alarm had already been
| sent in by young Price
Guard the Premises.
/ Mrs. KOpp. suffering from the shock
| of the mornings excitement and chilled
! from exposure IN the night air, was TAX
! en- for the night to the home of Dr. TheO-
/ dore Meyer, at 30 South Main street
! As It was known that a large sum OF
money had been left in the house. Ser
/ geant Hennei detailed two policemen 70
guard the premises until Mr.. KOpp re-
I turned from DR.. Meyers house.
! The firemen had great difficulty fight
I ing the blaze. owing to the sitting smoke
/ which filled every room. 1t was hard
task for the firefighters to get their line
/ of hose to the seat of the flames. but
after an hour s struggle all danger of the
{ destruction OF the house was passed.
The building was double two-story
/ frame The rooms on the east side were
4 Quilted by the flames, and the damage Is
! estimated between $3.50 and s200G