The Dickinson press., 1917-08-18
THREE. BOYS
CREMATED in
BURNED HOME
EARLY MORNING FIRE IN NEW
ENGLAND COMMUNITY
ON MONDAY.
Sleeping Children Unable to Escape
from Flames and Frantic Parents
Could Not Rescue Them.

Another shocking catastrophe oc-
curred in the New England vicinity
this week when three small children
were cremated in the fire that de-
.stroyed the Rudolph Boehlke home in
.Dovre township early Monday morn
ing. Mr.. and Mrs. Boehlke were do
I inc the morning chores at the barn
2 when the crying Of two-year-old
child in the yard attracted their at
tention and they, discovered their
house was a mass of flames. Ihey
made frantic attempt to save their
three little boys, still sleeping in an
upstairs room, but their Efforts were
in vain and their dear ones were en-
tirely consumed as the home went up
When MIR. and Mrs. Boehlke got up
they started fire in the COOK stove
and dressed the youngest child, Leon
ard, who happened to, be awake.
They then went to the barn, leaving
William, Peter and Robert aged y,
7 and years.. respectively, sleeping
in a bed upstairs. The weather was
so nice the mother left little Leonard
in the ward while she assisted her
husband at the barn.
The fire, presumably caused by an
.overheated Stove, was not discovered
until the parents attention was at
tracted by the cries of the frightened
baby. The flames were then shooting
out through the lower windows and
the heat was so intense that is was
impossible to stay close to the build
ing. Nevertheless, the father Sc
cured a ladder and pole and made
desperate attempt to pull the bed TO-
ward the window. He succeeded IN
hooking the pole into the bed frame
hut could not move the bed as the
legs of the bed had already dropped
through the charred floor. A few
minutes later the house and all the
contents was a smouldering mass IN
the basement.
When the building collapsed the
heat was so intense that the Mortified
parents were forced to stand several
rods from the burning mass In which
their dear ones were consumed.
From all appearances the little ones
were suffocated by the smoke and
passed away before the flames
reached the bed in which they peace
fully slept.
shortly after the fire was dlscovefed
by the parents but could do nothing,
except help care for the parents and
the little child that escaped the fire:
Mr.. Boehlke sustained several> pad
cuts from broken glass and his race
and hands were slightly scorched. He
was taken to New England, where ne
received medical attention.
The remains of the three children
(just few pieces of charred bones)
were placed in one casket and taken
to New England, where funeral sery-
ices were held at the Catholic church
on Tuesday morning. lnterment was
made in the Catholic cemetery north
of town. -: ;,
It seems that the New England
territory has had more than it's share
of catastrophes and fatal accidents
during the past few years. Many will
. remember the terrible prairie fire dis
i. aster in the Gaylord neighborhood
S three years ago when the teacher and
Six .pnpils lost theier lives. Two
years ago three boys lost their lives
in a snowslide on Rainy Butte. IA
year ago this month Asa Gardner,
Andrew Anderson and Andrew Low
inc met with fatal accidents, while on
the same day asAhe Boehlke disaster,
Ernest w. johnson, young farmer in
the Desart neighborhood, was killed
when his team ran away with a bind
-er.
The Boehlke family had laid in a
winters supply of provisions, includ-
ing 1900 pounds Of flour, several sacks
of sugar and coffee. In addition to
this a sum of money was in the house
which was received for some cattle
sold few days prior to the fire.
Mrs. Jacob Doll, who lives in South
Dickinson, is sister Of Mrs. Boehlke
and was notified Of the horrible ac-
-cident short time after it happened.
Mr.. and Mrs. Doll and Mr.. and Mrs.
Frank Meyer, also distant relatives
of the bereaved family, attended the
funeral Tuesday morning, and re-
turned the same day.