The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-12-07

The most narrowing fire tragedy of re-
cent years in Reynoldsville occurred about
four o'clock Sunday morning, December
4th, when the home of Mr.. and Mrs J. C.
Ferris, on East Grant street, was almost
totally destroyed, and in which two OF
their children were burned to death, two
more badly burned, and they themselves so
!, terribly injured by fire and cuts that the
life of the mother, at least, is despaired OF.
The story of the catastrophe is sickening
in its horror. The family of six had re-
tired Saturday night no thought of the
evil that was to befall them before morning.
About midnight Mrs. Ferris awoke and
found that the baby of the home, who was
suffering from cold needed attention, and
she went to the kitchen to prepare poul-
tice. The family used coal for fuel and
after getting the poultice for the infant
ready, Mrs. Ferris banked the fire in the
stove, as had been done many times before,
That it might hold and be in readiness for
the morning 1t is supposed the stove later
became overheated, and ignited the paint
on the walls of the house, which it is said
were within eight inches of the side of the
stove. 1t was about four o'clock in the
morning when Robert, the second son of
Mr.. Ferris, lad Of four years, awoke, saw
the flames coming through the bedroom
floor and ran in terror to his mothers room
to alarm them. 1t was but moment un-
til the household was aroused, but even
then the fire was found raging everywhere,
escape by the stairs was cut off, and the
floor was sagging beneath them as they
walked. The father picked up the eldest
girl, the mother the infant child, and call
( ing the two other boys to them they ran to
q window, broke it down, and hen, clad
only in underclothing, jumped from this
second story window to the snow covered
ground below. The father fell through
the window and was safe except for a
great cash cut in the calf of Mr.. Ferris S
left leg. The mother calling to the children
to follow her and she would catch them,
jumped with the baby. The clothes of
both were in flames at the time and in u
moment after reaching the ground she had
rolled the child and herself in the snow to
.extinguish the fire and then turned to catch
her children when they jumped To her
.unutterable horror, she found that they
had become frightened and turned back
into the burning house. Calls were in vain
and entrance to the home was impossible
an that moment of awful mental anguish,
&the mother became dazed, her mind wander
ed and neighbors who came hurrying to the
rescue few minutes later. found her sit
ting on the steps of her burning home,
swaying backwards and forwards, wiring
ing her hands in helpless woe and murmnr-
ing an incoherent song that she had fire.
quently used to luli her children to sleep.
Even as she sang it two of her children
were passing into the endless sleep Of death.
Strong men who came upon her in this
pitiful state were transfxed with horror
and stood as though frozen to the
ground, and with their blood running
cold.
The boys who had failed to follow
their par ents to the ground, went back
over the burning floor evidently in search
of some other means Of escape. Once,
it is said, they were seen at the rear
window trying to batter it down and
escape from the raging fire around them
but while they vainly struggled at the
window, the floor gave way beneath
them and they fell together into the
furnace of fame below. In the morning
when the fire had been extinguished, men
entered the ruins to search for the bodies.
It was long before they uncovered them
under burnt debris. When, at last, near
the foot Of the. stairs, they came upon
them, the little lads were found locked
fin close embrace, their flesh roasted to
crisp, and almost unacceptable. The
two bodies were taken up and carried to
The undertaking rooms Of Hughes &
BIeming, whore, after being prepared for
bu1nl, the bodies remained until Monday
a((cknoon. Owing to the fearful burns,
70 ons Was allowed to see Che remains
sftpr being pIaoed "a the casket. q
II breaking open the window and
jumping. Mr' Ferris was painfully and