Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-07-17


by Mr.. Alleman's two sons, Rodger and
Melvin. The Alleman family occupied
the farmhouse which was a large a.
room structure and the other house
was used as a country residence by
Miss Adeline Smith, of Lebanon. 1t
was closed at the time but a large
amount of costly furniture was inside.
The blaze was one of the most spec
tacular in the history of the lower end.
Just how it started is not known but
it is believed that chicken thieves
started the blaze to hide their work.
Shortly after $3.50 o'clock this morn
ing Rodger Alleman, the 21-year-
son, was awakened by the smell of
smoke and intense heat. He sprang
out of bed and rushed to the window.
He saw the big frame barn enveloped
in flames.
Hears Horses Whinnying
During the few moments that he
stood at the window he saw the roof
of the big building crash in onto the
seasons crops and heard the whinny-
ing of the five horses standing in the
stalls in the lower floor of the barn.
AS the timbers in the roof gave way
and crashed down onto the floor be-
low, the horses terrorized by smoke,
heat and flames, stampeded and broke
through their stalls and dashed into
the open.
Turning about young Alleman
notiA,d that flames were crawling up
along side the farmhouse and that the
rooms were filled with smoke. With
out stopping to don any clothes he
rushed through the smoke-filled halls
and pounded on the door of his par
ents' room. Then he rushed over to
his brother and dragged him out of
bed. Then he dashed to the next floor
where his two sisters were sleeping.
Already smoke had filled the rooms
answer his frantic blows upon their
bedroom door. Putting his shoulder
against the door he broke through.
A dense cloud of smoke swirled out
and drove young Alleman to his knees.
Regaining his feet he fought his way
to his sisters bedside and dragged
them into the hall. His younger sis
was too weak to walk. The brother
gathered her into his arms and fought
his way to the ground. The other sis
ter. a lass of 81, escaped, unaided.
Barely five minutes after the Allie
man family got out of the burning
house the roof crashed in. Huddled
in O little group on the lawn they
watched their home go up in flames.
Entire Harvest Gone
The flames which shot high into the
air lit up the sky for miles around
Highspire and Oberlin and few men
from farmhouses nearby hurried to
the scene of the blaze. Before they
arrived, however, the flames had
gained such headway that but little
effort could be made to extinguish the
blaze.
Standing about in little groups the
farmers watched the building burn
The barn went first. 1t was q huge
frame structure and had but recently
been remodeled. Inside was stored l,
900 bushels of corn and the entire har-
vest of hay and wheat. Just yesterday
the harvest was completed and the last
load hauled into the barn preparatory
to threshing All the farm machinery
| three new carriages and ten sets oi
harness were destroyed. Practically
nothing but the stock was saved.
When the roof of the big barn went
down with a crash millions of spark:
arose in clouds and filed the air. Somt
of the burning embers fell upon a new
silo and a few minutes later IL was G
tower Of flames.
The Tenant house went next
! This building was a story-and-a-h hal
| structure built of logs. 1t was leased
by Miss Adeline Smith, a wealthy
Lebanon woman, who used 1t as z
country residence. 1t was richly fur.
nished.
Members of the Alleman family
stood in their night clothes WATCHING
their home and belongings burn unit
lneighbors came to their aid and fur