The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1913-03-05
MAYBURG's FEARFUL HOLOCAUST
Four Men Cremated In Boarding House
Fire, Saturday Night. Scene
Beggars Description.

DeBBaIS DeSCrlpuon'
Four men were cremated in fire which
destroyed wood-chopper's boarding
house located near the chemical plant on
the opposite side of the creek from the
town Of Msyburg, Kingsley township,
this county, at an early hour Sunday
morning. Two others we're badly burned
and have since been taken TO the Kane
hospital. They are Michael Shuster the
boarding house keeper. and his wife.
Mrs. Shuster's burns are thought to be of
a fatal nature, and her seven-days-old
babe may die from exposure. The father
will recover. The dead are:
Antoine Smerdel aged 81;
Jake Meier, aged %;
Antoine Zortek, aged 40;
Frank Zortek, aged 10.
There were thirty.eight men, five
women and two children sleeping in the
house at the time of the FIRE all OF whom,
except those mentioned, made their es-
cape without injury.
uo CuuoO VI tbO hio 10 ouPpboON w
have been from the ex plosion of a lamp,
as has been pretty we'll demonstrated up
on investigation. 1t occurred between
one and two o'clock.
pers by the Tionests Valley Chemical
Co., and the building which was de-
stroyed was 24x60 feet, frame, two stories
high. 1t was owned by the company but
had been newly furnished only two
months ago by Mike Shuster and Joe
FabstZ, who, with the assistance of their
wives, conducted the boarding house, and
had 40 bosrders, who also roomed in the
camp.
Alter Mrs. Shuster had aroused the
camp she ran TO her room to get her
seven dsy-old baby. and this heroic deed
will probabyl cost the woman her life, as
she was badly burned over the entire
body, while the infant, which she had
carefully wrapped in blanket, escaped
with only slight burn on the left hand.
The woman, husband and child were
taken to the Kane Summit hospital Mon
day morning, attended by a Kelettville
physician and the manager of the Chemi-
Cal company. Mrs. ShuSter's recovery is
doubtful, while her husband, who had
both hands badly burned in trying to ex
tinguish her burning clothing, will be
laid up Tor some time. The little baby
may die of the exposure 1t was forced to
encounter.
Those who escaped were clad only in
lightest clothing, aud in their bare feet
we're obliged to walk over ice and snow
to the company store distance of half a
mile where Mr.. Smith, the manager,
spent the balance of the night handing
out stockings, shoes and clothing TO the
unfortunstes whose distress was pitiable
indeed.
Besides the loss of clothing, furniture,
etc., over 81 500 in money was also de.
stroyed, which represented the hard
earnings of most OF the men who had
given their money over to Mr.. Shuster to
keep for them, which he bad secreted in
his room. Mr.. Shuster also lost $500 of
his own money, which now leaves him
penniless and without clothing
The loss of the building and its con-
tents is estimated at about $1,000. All Of
the men who were burned were Aus.
trians. All Of those in the building were
| Austrians, aud one of the men who lost
n haA mi fa arl oh
ing in Austria.
The bodies of the unfortunate victims
we're removed from the still smouldering
EN- bers only the trunks remsining-and
taken to Sheffield on the Monday morn
ing train, where they were prepared for
burial, which was made in the Catholic
cemetery in Warren.
The scenes about the confiagration are
said to have been frightful, men, women
and children, almost entirely nude were
frantically screan ing with fright and
horror and it was with greatest difficulty
that they were quieted and brought TO
their senses by the neighbors, who lost
no time in doing their utmost in alleviat-
ing the distress of the victims and max
ing them as com Portable as possible un.
der the trying circumstances.
The Kane Republican Of Tuesday says:
"Mrs. Mike Shuster, who was fatally
burned in the fire that destroyed wood
choppers camp, at Mayburg, on Satur-
day morning, and who was brought to
the Kane Summit Hospital yesterday
morning, together with her husband and
-daysold baby, cannot recover and
her death is looked for at any time. 1t is
thought now that the baby will survive.
burned, is getting along nicely"