The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-03-17
"A TOTS. BURNED OUT.
PASSNICHT NENCINE HOUSE



Contfnuea rrsn First Pag~
over for the use Of the Nursery Home
after her family moved from the man
sion. The institution occupied it until |
driven out by the flames last evening.
The children probably would have re-
mained there until summer when the
new home on Cameron street will be
ready.
Mrs. Watts said this morning that
the loss on the property will run to con-
siderably more than $4,000, but she
was not prepared to fix the exact
amount. All of the fine old family
furniture was removed several years
ago and hence escaped the flames. The
building was insured but the exact
amount of the insurance was not ascer-
tainable this morning.
| The fre.-was discovered bursting
from the roof of the third story about
4.45 O'Clock yesterday afternoon. A
little colored boy ran into the house
and told Mrs. Clifford Steward, the ma
tron, who was just getting the children,
whose ages range from six months to
ten years, ready for the evening meal.
They were hastily lined up and march
ed to safety out of the building.
| Three youngsters, who were quaran-
tined for mumps in third floor room,
and two invalid children had to be ear
ried from the doomed building by Mrs.
Steward and Miss Virginia Booth All
the youngsters found temporary shell
ter in the nearby homes of Andrew
Sehutzenbaugh and A. C. Smith.
Firemen Seriously Handicapped
| Mrs. Steward telephoned for the
Camp Curtin Fire Company and mo-
ment later the district fire companies
were called from box 121, at Third
street and Reels lane. The home was
in such remote part of the city that
there are no fire plugs in the immediate
vicinity and the firemen had to stretch
their lines of hose for many blocks to
reach the fire. This caused so much
delay that the flames got such headway
that they could not be overcome until
the building was practically ruined.
| Much of the bedding and other
equipment and furniture however, was
saved by the fremen and other volun-
teers. The fire is believed to have
started from defective fue. A big
crowd was attracted to the scene. Hose
across the tracks interfered with traffic
on the Third and Second trolley lines
and passengers had to be transferred
around the fire.
Apparently forgetting the things
they had seen last night and fully re-
covered from fright and fear of the fire,
the A tots of the Nursery Home were
up bright and early this morning in the
parlor in the second floor of the Citi-
zen engine house. The little ones, the
majority of whom are under years
old, proved they spent the night in
peaceful repose, for long before old Sol
had any say the voices of the children
could be heard about the building.
Rising at daybreak, a good hour be-
fore their usual time, the children began
romping, playing, talking and, of course,
a few crying, as though they were in
their own home.
The firemen of course, played large
part in making them comfortable, for
when returning from the fire last night
most of the Citizen men decided the
best thing to do was go home, so that
little or no noise would be made. Those
few who did remain at the engine house
were quite careful when playing their
social games of checkers or pinochle
that their voices were not heard above
a whisper.
Even the Horses Are Quiet
Even the horses, that at times try
to become conspicuous by neighing and
prancing in their stalls, were made to
obey the ''quiet' injunction. A few
of the firemen went so far as to suggest
that the horses hoofs be inclosed in
burlap bags to prevent the noise of
stamping. This plan, however, was re-
jeeted by tine majority as unnecessary.
After the children were given a
breakfast this morning devotional exer-
cises were conducted by the head of
the nursery, Mrs. Steward. Later the
childre nwere taken out in automobiles
for morning spin, and then to the
Children s Industrial Home, Nineteenth
and Derry streets, where they will re-
main until other quarters are provided
them.
| When the children were brought to
the engine house at $50 o clock last
night they were given an elaborate
chicken supper provided them by Miss
Anne Mccormick, Vance c Mccormick
and Henry B. Mccormick.
A committee, composed of Miss Anne
Mccormick and Mrs. James ID. 'daw-
kins, was appointed to secure temporary
quarters until the new nursery home
on South Cameron street is completed.
Efforts are being made to secure the
Suburban Club, at Paxtonia. Late this
afternoon nothing definite had been de-
cided on in regard to change OF quar-