The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-01-31
Homes of William Blythe and Paul Dauer Are
DESTROYED by Fire That Threatened
Much of Village
STARTED BY OIL STOVE EXPLOSION
Blaze Starts in Kitchen of Blythe Home Where the
Furniture Also is Destroyed by the
Flames This Morning.

Mrs. Blythe were in the living room Of
the home just after 10 O'Clock. this
morning when they heard an explosion
and rushing to the kitchen found that
the oil stove was on fire.
Blythe ripped the stove out and at
tempted to carry it blazing from the
room, but this only spread the flames.
Mrs. Blythe ran to the cradle where
the baby was sleeping and carried the
child out of the house Co q neighbor's.
Next she locked for q four-year- old
child who was not at home when the
explosion occurred but who was found
at a neighbor's house. Their other
four children were in school.
Realizing that he could not fight the
fire alone, Blythe ran to call for help
and when he returned the entire house
was in flames. Efforts were made to
enter the home to carry out furniture,
but each time the volunteers were met
by walls of smoke and fame that made
it impossible.
Save Only the Radio.
The only piece of furniture saved
from the home was a radio outfit which
someone reached through window and
ripped out of the wall. All other fur
niture, including a piano, went up in
smoke, this loss alone amounting to
more than $1,000.
The flames leaped from the roof of
the Blythe home to that adjoining it to
the north, the home of Paul Dauer.
The crowd which had gathered carried
out of this home all of the furniture,
but the house itself could not be saved.
The furniture was also carried out Of
the home of Walker Green, adjoining
the Dauer home, but the fire was halted
before it reached this home.
The blaze was soon beyond the con-
troll of the limited fire fighting appa-
ratus at Winthrop Harbor and call
was sent to Zion and Kenosha for help.
A Zion fire truck was the first to reach
the scene, but it was practically power
less because it did not have enough
hose to reach from the water tower to
the scene of the fire. The Kenosha
engine and hose wagon arrived shortly
afterwards and soon two streams Of
water were playing on the blaze. This
halted the spread of the flames and
saved the other residences in the group.
Reports had spread that the entire
village Of Winthrop Harbor was on fire
with result that hundreds of persons
from Kenosha, Waukegan and Zion
hurried to the fire. This resulted in
the hating of traffic along Sheridan
road for some time.
By 1880 the fire was completely I'M
der control and traffic had been re-
sumed.
Loss is Severe One.
The loss is a most severe one for the
Blythe family, totalling more than
$4,000, of which only SMALL part is
covered by insurance. The loss on the
Dauer home will also be in the neigh
borhood of not less than $4,000.
The furniture that was saved from
the Dauer home was scattered along
the road and early this afternoon was
being carried into neighbours home.
Relatives and neighbors also opened
their homes to the Blythe family, that
was completely burned out.
Residents, of Winthrop Harbor were
most thankful to the Kenosha and Zion
departments for their efficient aid. 1t
is declared that the fire will result in
agitation for more adequate fire pro
lection for the village.