Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-25
MOTHER SEES FIRE
KILL TWO CHILDREN
Stands Helpless as Flames
Rage Through Forest
Glen Home.

A mother, with her TWO little boys De-
side her. stood frantic and helpless yes
terday afternoon as she saw her home
consumed by fire. An hour earlier she
had left the home with one of her baby
daughters sleeping in her crib and an
other playing on the floor. She knew
they we're still inside as she watched
the house burn, and when the flames
had burned low their charred bodies
were found in the ruins.
The mother is Mrs. Mary Ridgway.
who lived near Forest Glen, Md, and
the little girls who were burned to death
we're Vira Elizabeth, years old, and
Martha Washington Ridgway, ID
months.
When Mrs. Ridgway reached home
about o'clock yesterday afternoon and
saw the flames licking high from the
cottage in which she, her husband and
the children had lived, 1t took many
hands to restrain her from dashlng into
the plaZe in what would have been a
futile effort to rescue the children.
Away One Hour.
She had left her home about an hour
before for grocery store In Forest Glen.
After purchasing some provisions she
met ,lei sons, Bernard, years old, and
James, years old, on their way home
from private school. 1t had been
her custom to meet them every day and
take their hands as they crossed the
railroad tracks between the school and
home.
The Ridgway cottage stood in a
clump Of trees some distance from the
main road and the fire was well under
way before it was discovered. The first
to see the blaze was Elmer Dulin. chief
engineer at the National Park Seminary.
He turned in the alarm and the Silver
Spring Volunteer Fire Department re-
Sponded. -,
Mrs. Ridgway and her boys saw the
fire from the distance. They ran until
they reached the spot. The fire appa-
ratus arrived a few minutes later, but
the hose lines would not reach the
house. Efforts to extinguish the cont1a-
grafton with water carried in buckets
proved unavailing and the house burned
to the ground. Today only the CHM
ney stands bleakly above the charred
timberS.
Recover Bodies.
With the flremen, under Chief
Charles E. Deffinbaugh working at top
speed. the bodies of the little girls were
dug out of the ruins while the emberS
still were Smouldering.
AS soon as Mrs. Ridgway could be
persuaded to leave the scene she was
taken to the home of Mrs. Robert B.
Turner, at the Forest Glen Post Office,
where she collapsed.
William B. Ridgway, father OF the
children, a steamfltter employed at the
Mckinley High School, knew nothing
of the tragedy until he returned home
at 6 o'clock. Afraid the shock might
unsettle his reason unless the news was
broken gently, Mrs. Turner requested
Luther Smith. Waterman at the semi
nary, to meet him before he reached his
burned home.
Insurance Lapsed Month Ago.
Ridgway was due home on the
o'clock bus, but when he failed to
appear, Smith continued to wait and
when the o'clock bus arrived, took him
aside and broke the news to him.
This morning Mr. and Mrs. Ridgway
returned to the place where their home
had stood and sat hand-in hand. on a
stump in what yesterday was their front
yard. They sat there for almost an
hour without. speaking, gazing at the
blackened timbers. To add to the
catastrophe, Mr.. Ridgway said this
morning that his insurance had lapsed,
through an oversight, about month
ago.
Miss velma Smith of 818 Quintana
place. friend of Mrs. Ridgway before
her marriage, came to the assistance
of the stricken family and took them
into her home.
This morning the boys did not seem
to have grasped the significance Of what
had happened to their sisters. No ar
rangements for the funeral have yet
been made.