Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1913-05-08
Bl
Oh. D B |
Clark Citizen i Caught il
Burning Barn and i Burned
10 Death. 81
A TERRIBLE DEA TH
Geo. w Richardson Loses His
Life Trying 10 Sese "a Empty
Old Barn.

Uld Barn.
Clark County Courier George
Richardson. well known La Clark for Z
many years, was the victim Of q most
horrible accident while working about
| the Mclaughlin place in the eastern
part of town last Tuesday morning 1T
about half past nine. He and I. N.
Upton We're engaged In gardening
and burning off the dead grass near
the barn. when in some manner they #
lost control of the fire and the hay
inside the open door became ignited. &
In an insane effort to extinguish the
flames, the two men entered the barn,
not thinking of the terrible danger
they We're In. as the barn was a very
small one and If they gave the matter
any thought at all they never imagin-
led that they might not be able to get
out. On going inside the barn, they
Irealized that It was hopeless to ex-
lpect to put out the fire and they start
ed to so out. Neither man had ever
been in the barn before and ii is the
geenral opinion that in their wild
haste to get out they both became
Iconfused and lost Sc nse of their dir
irections, BY miracle OF good for
tune, Mr.. Tfpton sueceeded In getting
outside before it was too late, but
Mr. Richardson found d fiery furnace
between himself and the door and
4 was unable To- make his way toS the
exit. he called to M. Tiptosl tol tear
! board out Of the wall and help him
tout, but there were no tools at hand
land the fire was gaining such head
A way that he was unable to do any
thing to assist him, and received sew
eral severe burns himself The poor
4 victim gave a last piercing cry and
sank onto his face, where he was dis
covered after the barn had burned
Y down,
i Ii is almost impossible to conceive
4 the swiftness with which the flames
destroyed the building. The total time
consumed by the burning could not
have been more than fifteen minutes
at the most, and when this is taken
into consideration 1t lis small wonder
4, that the unfortunate man was unable.
to save himself. isss s5s
What is hardest to 81 ,l,,ti arsf and
about the fearful affair is that two
4 men would take such chances where
there was nothing at stake except q
dilapidated barn building, but perhaps
q any man would have done the same.
not realizing that he was placing his.
life in jeopardy.
The fire company had hastenad tnS
the scene at the first alarm ii thouah
on arriving they found that they could
do nothing to save the building, and
4 the only available fire-fghting anna
ratus was the chemical engine. tbe
Inearest hydrant being too Ear awav,
to be reached by the hose. Tbe en.
gine itself failed to work, Or at least
j was not pressed into service. though
i 1t really did not make any diff eranca
as the victim was nndoubtedly nast
Iall human aid before the fireman ar-
Irived, and there was no use of pouring
water on the building, the best ,,lan
seeming TO be to allow the flames ~ !
subside Of themselves sufiicientlyi to
permit OF the body being rescued
which was done
Mrs Richardson is prostrated over
the tragic death Of her husband. This
| iss the second time within 4 year t,at
/ the death angel has visited the "a.
fortunate family, the eldest da,,gbtar
being taken away last spring Dut 81
the entire family there are now onIv
the mother and youngest dauebfer
The hand OF fate has indeed rastad
heavily upon them 4
The many friends Of Dirk Holla mar
win syrnpathize with him III Tie. deatb
OF bis twelve year Old daugh hter wbo I
died Of pneumonia one day The tirat
part Ct the week. II ii only j. few
weeks ago that the gIrIs mo- her ,v.s
Killed n q z runaway accident II q "a.
tertown. ss.H q