Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-13
DRIVEN OUT BY FIRE
Narrow Escape From Flames
of New Haven Family.
ONE is BURNED TO DEATH
Home of Samuel Higgins Destroyed
Early This Morning.
LOSS ESTIMATED AT 100000
Several Persons Injured While Try
ing to Escape, One Perhaps
Fatally.
ONE IS BURNED TO DEATH
LOSS ESTIMATED AT 100000
Disnatch to The Star.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. January 13-Ali
the family of Samuel Higgins. general
manager of the New York, New Haven
and Hartford road, had a narrow escape
from being burned to death in fire this
morning. His mother, Mrs. Isabella III.
Moore. lost her life His wife suffered
internal injuries and a dislocated hip.
The loss caused by the fire amounts To
about 100000.
The Higgins family were awakened
about 3 O'Clock. Mr.. Higgins smelled
smoke. and rushed at once to the room OF
the aged mother and pounded upon the
door. Owing to her great deafness she
probably did not hear. Mr.. Higgins,
cropping through the smoke ana ittle
tongues of fame that leaped up here
and there, ran to each room, arousine
all the family. He had hoped that his
mother was up. He tried to get back to
her room. but his way was shut Off by
a wall of fire.
His mother waited to make her escape
and was burned to a crisp. Her Dody
was recovered this morning. She was
eighty years old and formerly lived in
Washington.
Injured in Jumping.
The rest of the family. with the aged
cook gathered at the windows and
mmped The colored cook jumped from
a third-story window and she was prob
ably saved from death by the action oi
Sergt Connolly and Patrolman kehne!
who interposed their bodies. breaking
the force of the fall All the members o'
the family suffered severe bruises as ine
result of their leap. Mr.. Higgins mas
but one leg. and was handicapped IN ms
| efforts to effect his own escape and tna
of the others Of his family. His mother
| in-law Mrs. CoTbin. stood the snock pel
ter than was feared, and sustained 1e"
! bruises.
The condition of Mrs Higgins was sait
| this afternoon to have grown exceedingly
| serious. An examination of her inJurle:
| developed the fact that her hip was dis
| located and that she had suffered ii,eI
nal Injuries If these develop a. is feares
there VIII be little hope for her recovery
! Miss Higgins leg was broken. but th'
fracture will not be serious.
| AS ouickly as possible the injured peo
pie were carried into the home OF isaac
| \ Damn nearby The entire neighborhoof
| had been awakened by the terrified
| screams of the women in the burniht
| house and every doctor in the nelghbof'
! hood was quickly on hand Dr. Cheney
| whose sanitarium is but snort Instance
| away on Whitney avenue. was one OF tht
| first to respond First aid was given tt
| the injured women. and shortly after they
! were taken to the sanitarium in DR. che
news automobile. Mrs Higgins and Mrs
| Corbin being first taken. MISS HlSglh'
next and the colOred woman but a few
moments later. She is heavy woman
and both legs were broken.
Other Houses Ignited.
| The fire was a spectacular one IN;
residence was located on high ground on
Prospect Hill and hundreds. notwthstand
| ing the lateness of the hour were at
| tracted TO the scene. The tiremen had nj
| chance whatever to cope with the flames
| The water pressure was simply lnsuff1
! cient and the streams from the nozzle:
did not reach above the first sto"y
! Buckets were called into play. and the
| roofs of nearby houses were kept con
Stantly wetted down.
! Despite this. the house on the south
owned by Rev. William Hess and occupied
! by Ben iamin Campbell vice PRESIDENT q
| the New York New Haven and Hartford
! railroad, caught fire. and the flames wer
put out with some difficulty. 1t was be
/ lieved that two of Mr. Campbelis sons
who are down with pneumonia. would
! have to he removed from the house. bu
| fortunately the flames were eXtinSuishe'
/ and the health of the young men was nc
/ further impaired 10y their being taken on
| into the cold air. As il was. the hoy
! were carried from their beds ana placed
/ in blankets in ;he front hall of the Camp
| bell home ready for removal on M"
| mentS notice.
! The home of Thomas Wallace. jr-, alSt
caught fire. and the entire section was
a time in danger from terr,nc down
ncur of sparks ON the north * Prof
/ t,.nrce IL NfttlesonS residence. nut d
! the wind was i'm the other direction, !
| ESCAPED with Il slight sinScinG OF th'
| paint.
Cause of the Fire.
II personally saw 10 the furnace apou'
midnight lust before retiring, Mr.. ilg'
yins said. Il fixed it for the night. II
must he that on account of n very nlSf
wind. causing an unusual draft 1t be
came overheated and set fire TO the wood
work.
Mr. Higgins later said that he had re
yisei his earlier opinion and now thinks
! that it was started by rats gnawins
! matches in one of the unoccupled cham
Ue estimated the total loss at about
S1nyoOn The building was frame one
! of four stories and of Venetian aren't
one of the losses which Mr.. Higgins
felt most keenly was that Of sIive'
service presented him by his fellow OF
ticers of the Southern railway when he
left that road to join the New HaSe1
system several years ago.