Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-03-31
FIRE DESTROYS
HITCHCOCK HOME
Family Narrowly Escape in
Night Clothes Monday
Morning

The eight room, two story house
owned by George Allen and occupied
by H. G. Hitchcock was destroyed
by fire Monday morning at o'clock.
Mr.. Hitchcock built a fire about day
light in the sitting room heater and
returned to bed to take another nap
before getting up time The father,
G. w. Hitchcock was awake early
and smelling the somke called to his
son, as he was unable to ge up from
his bed to which he has been confin-
ed several months.
The son came into the sitting
room and saw that the ceiling where
the stove pipe went through, was on
fire, and thinking he could easily
extinguish it., grabbed a dish pan and
filled it at the faucet, but by the
time the pan was full he discovered
that the fire had spread entirely over
the top of the room.
His next thought was to use the
hose which laid in the yard and
coupling this up to the faucet he
found that the hose was full of ice
and the water would not run.
BY this time all hope of saving the
house or any of its contents was
given up, and Mr.. Hitchcock made
haste to get the family out, which
consists of his wife and two small
children besides the father.
The elder Hitchcock was removed
to safety and the wife and the year
and half old boy were on the out
side, but littleeHelen, the two and
half year old daughter, ran into the
bedroom instead of going out doors.
Mr.. Hitchcock caught a glimpse of
her through the smoke, and pulling
the burning curtains from the double
door which opened into the bedroom,
to get through the flames
and pick the little girl up in his arms
and get her to a window.
The flames were already envelop-
ng this room, and leaping through
he entire house.
The window refused to open and
Iickng out the gless. the screen was
till in the way, and the suffocating
nan had barely strength enough to
,reak through the screen and drop
Helen out on the ground where her
rantic mother was waiting to get
old of her.
With a last final effort, his lungs
illed with smoke and his eyes blind ,
d by the heat and fumes, Mr.. Hitch
ock had presence of mind enough 10
umble out of the window as every
ther avenue of escape was cut off ,
BY this time neighbors had turned :
4 the fire alarm and the fire lads
lade record run for such an early
our and they were soon battling the :
ames with heavy streams of water. K
Practically nothing was saved
-om the house and the family was
to escape in their night
othes with their lives.
Mr.. Hitchcock was badly burned
a the back of his head and neck and n
r. Evans soon relieved his suffer g
g with first aid dressing. ri
Mr.. Hitchcock is one of the pro- 10
'ietors Of the Oregon Trail Garage g
I'd with his partner enjoys the pl
,od will and confidence of the COM
unity. II
There was an insurance on the pa
use Of $1,000. There was no in W
rance upon the furniture or per- le
nal effects in the house, and the tn
tchcock family will have to start ty
over again at housekeeping.
The Ladies Aid society of the NJ Ike
church were busy on the wires tn
soon as the results of the fire go
re learned and have offered their FRI
vices free of charge to Mrs. Hitch -
TX in making comforts and doing do
E necessary sewing for the wife th
d children. fu
the Hitchcocks have I'M