Evening star., 1951-12-24
Neighbors Rally to Aid Family of 7 Routed by Fire

police and f1remen rallied today
|around disaster-stricken family
of seven children, whose mother
was burned critically yesterday in
a fire which destroyed their home
near Beallsville.i
The injured mother is Mrs, Jen-
ME Fowler, 43. Her husband,
Charles G. Fowler, A, county
road department. workman, also
was burned but was not hospital
lied. The children escaped in
jury.
Kerosene used by Mrs. Fowler
to light her kitchen stove explod-
led. She was drenched from head
to foot with the flaming liquid.
Flames spread rapidly through
the two-story frame house and
left only it's two chimneys stand
ing.
Children Flee Unaided.
Mrs. Fowler was carried out by
her husband. but the partly
clothed children fed unaided
into 20-degree temperatures out
side and nearly all the family
possessions were lost. The loss
included the family's Christmas
gifts.
Neighbors fought the flames
unSucceSSfully. Two of them drove
Mrs. Fowler to Suburban Hospital,
Bethesda. after. Mr.. Fowler had
driven her and the child a mile
to the nearest house.
Mr.. Fowler and the seven chill
dren were taken in by Mr.. and
Mrs. Fowler's Son-in-law, Hoseley
j. Gravely. jr.. and Mr.. and Mrs.
G. Lee Walden. Mr.. Gravely Is
dairyman on the Walden farm at
Poolesville.
Montgomery County police and
Upper Montgomery County Volun-
teer Fire Department Immediately
began collecting food, clothing and
cash for the family. Police said
contributions may be left at any
Of the three county police stations
at Rockville. Silver Spring or
Bethesda.
Police said that as Of this!
they have received sew
eral contributions Of clothing,
toys, food. over $125 in cash and
some furniture. The contribu-
tions are being carried to the
Upper Montgomery County Fire
at Beallsvllle. where
they will be sorted before they
are given to the homeless family.
Julian j. Chisolm. Beallsville
said more cash and
toys are needed.
The Fowlers had lived in the
rented house since last March.
The site is in a wooded area of
Peach Tree road.
Family Sleeping on First Floor.
The fire started shortly after
am. The family was sleeping on
the first floor because the second
was unheated. Billy. IA. was out
side chopping kindling wood.
Mr.. Fowler gave this account:
THE oil stove got out of whack,
and I had drained some Of the
oil into a bucket sitting there in
the kitchen. There was also two
5-gallon cans sitting there.
II was still in bed.
"She hollered, oh. Lordy!' Il
jumped out and saw she was on
fire. 1t looked like flames over
the cook stove. Then the whole
was solid flame.
Blanket Smothered Flames.
'My wife caught fire and fell.
I hollered at the kids to get out.
Then I commenced to smother out
the fire on her with a blanket.
I couldn't see her on the floor
I just grabbed a blanket and
threw it over her. Then I brought
her out.
Il had to reach back through
a window to get some pants and
a shirt"
Billy heard the commotion and
saw flames curling under the back
door. He raced around front,
broke window and told the other
children to climb through. Then
his father sent him for help.
Neither Mr.. Fowler nor the
younger children had time to get
on shoes or much clothing. The
children are: Martha. IL; Robert
Henry, 8; Franklin. z; James Ed
ward, 4, and twin boys, Harry
and Howard, 8. A 17-year-old
son Charles and a married daugh-
ter. Mrs. Virginia May Gravely,
were not living at home.
MIR. Fowler bundled his wife
into a truck. The children huddled
in the open back.
Boy Runs for Help.
Billy raced through the snow
covered woods to the home of r.
Edwin Brown, mile away, where
the nearest phone is located. Mr..
Brown, who is president of the
Upper Montgomery County Volun-
teer Fire Department at Bealls-
vile. called the company.
Two fire trucks responded, but
only one was able to make its
way up the icy road to the house.
The water supply soon gave out.
1--WE didn't have q chance" MIR.
Brown said. 'The house had been
burning 20 minutes by the time
we got there"
MFR. Fowler reached the home
Of Mr.. and Mrs. Jasper Hough.
Two Hough sons. Jack, %, and
Forrest. 20, put Mr.. and Mrs.
Fowler in their car and drove
them to the Rockville Rescue
Squad.
Husband Suffers Burns.
Mr.. Fowler required treatment
for burns on the hands, face and
legs, but was not admitted to the