The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-03-22
Ardmore, Friday, March 20, 1914
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A tragedy

The past week came to Ardmore
laden with the saddest misfortune
that ever occurred in the city While
thousands were enjoying the sweet
sleep of the early morning hours, a
tragedy was being played in hum
Bile home in the east part of the city
Friday morning. The tragedy oc-
CURED in the twinking of an eye.
flame from a match ignited room
full of natural gas. A mother hau
gone into the room of her sleeping
child to light the morning fire for
her comfort and in that going moth
erer and child were destroyed, TWO
other lives, a mothdr and her daugh-
fer were also snuffed out. Standing
in a fiery furnace without moments
notice. the mother with flames in her
eyes. in her breath in her hair, in ev'
cry thread of her clothing could not
escape. No human effort could save
knew of their being taken away.
Motherhood with children about her
was taken away, young womanhood
with rainbows of love in her dreams
was taken from life's enchanting
scenes, playful, trusting, innocent
childhood was swept away without
warning.
It is said that in every emergency
there is a hero. The hero in the emer-
cy in the Finley home was the son
of 9 years When the sudden eNplo-
sion came and the flames of fire We're
eating their cruel way in every di-
rection. the boy of came to him
self standing in the yard. Above the
each Of the explosion, above the roar
of the flames that singed and scorch-
ed and crisped human flesh into ash
es. above the intense excitement that
whirred in his own little brain, he
heard the cry of little sister who
could not find her way from the i'll |
fated home Through the window he
climbed, barring his own bosom to the
FIRE and grasping a strong ho'd
fire and grasping q strong hold up
on the child's uightio he dragged her
to the window where he had entered
a moment before and into the open
space where safety awaited her
While the father with brains aiire
of eNcitment and with nerves streng
thencd 20 superhuman effort fought
with the fire dend that enyeloped the
boys mother. he, too, was doing his
part Of the work of the hcroism re-
ouircd for the second and saved the
life OF one smaller than himself
Every heart in this city goes ont
to T. Y. Finley in this tremendous
tragedy that no action of his invited
into his home. Mr. Finley has lived
here Tor many years he has been
patient to work, to live within his
means. to rear a family, to pay his
debts, to be good neighbor, a faith
rul friend and an honorable sitizen.
Thousands of hearts went out in
sympathy to him when they saw him
night for the life of his wife and the
mother of his children aguinst the fire
fend where he had no chance for vic
tory.
Two mothers were taken in the ira
gedy wrought by the flames, but an
other mother was left in grief. Mrs.
Ada Hines was the mother of the two
women who were destroyed. She
had reared them from infancy, she
had been their life's companion, they
had never been separated, they hal
grown into her life until they filled
il with the holy love Of mother She
asked for no greater comfort than L
know they were comfortable, she
would have given her own that sh,
might have saved their lives and onl!
those who are mothers can conceive
of her suffering and of her sorrow
The father of the two women and III,