Joseph Clark House Fire - 1913

CLARK

Posted By: Christine Clark (email)
Date: 6/3/2008 at 13:45:30

Article taken from the Waterloo Reporter; Waterloo, IA
Wednesday, March 19, 1913

Mother Hurt and 3 Children Burn

Stove Exploded in Clark Home at Belmond – Mother Cannot Live

Belmond, March 19 - A stove exploded in the home of Joseph Clark yesterday morning, causing a fire in which Mrs. Clark was burned and her three children lost their lives.

Mrs. Clark was rendered unconscious by the explosion which set her clothes and the building on fire. When she came to she staggered out of doors and was seen by the engineer and firemen of a passenger train which after sounding a fire alarm rushed to her assistance and smothered the flames with a blanket.

Mrs. Clark was frightfully burned and cannot live, her three children were in the bedroom and their screams were heard by neighbors who smashed the windows in a vain attempt to save them. The building was all ablaze before the alarm was turned in and all was over before the firemen arrived.