NEWS ARTICLES
Of
PIKE COUNTY ILLINOIS
Barry Adage, Barry, Illinois, Wednesday, December 3, 1919
Contributed by Janet MySinger
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The Hall family for some time have lived in the residence known as the old Joseph Green place, and it was about 4:30 on Sunday afternoon when Mrs. Hall left the home to come up town, leaving in the house six of the seven children in the family. The oldest child, Bessie, aged 14 years, was not at home at the time and the rest of the children were left in charge of Eva, aged 12 years. Before leaving home Mrs. Hall had poured some kerosene on the fire which had nearly gone out, and after the mother had left the house Eva, noticing that the fire still did not burn, took the oil can and again poured kerosene on the smoldering fire. The result was a terrific explosion which threw burning oil and flame over the entire room and immediately the entire kitchen was a roaring mass of flames. Eva, her clothes on fire, ran from the house across the street where Dean and Glen Crump and Arthur Lease, who were in an automobile, saw her and smothered the fire with a blanket, but not before she had been horribly burned. Four of the other children in some manner got out of the house when the explosion occurred, but the baby, who was sitting in her high chair near the stove, was burned to death and the little body was gotten out by Robt. Brown only after the firefighters had fought the blaze for some time and made it possible for a human being to enter the home which was still filled with smoke and heat when Brown reached the body.
The explosion which started the fire was heard by neighbors on both sides of the Hall place, but before any one could reach the house the kitchen was all afire and to enter the burning building at that time was an utter impossibility.
Eva, after the fire in her burning clothes has been extinguished, was taken to the office of Drs. Beaver and Kuntz, and everything possible done for her, and for a time it was thought she would survive. The parents left with her Monday with the intention of placing her in a hospital in Quincy, but the unfortunate girl died in that city about 6 o’clock that evening. It was the intentions to take the bodies of both children to Sioux City, Iowa, for burial. (I think this should be Sac City, Iowa.)
The fire while it lasted was a hot one, and while the house was not entirely consumed, it was badly damaged and practically everything in it was either burned or ruined. Besides the loss of the two little children, Mr. and Mrs. Hall lost heavy financially, as they are the owners of the property and can ill afford to stand the loss.
The citizens of Barry came quickly to the aid of the stricken family. Besides doing all possible to comfort and assist the homeless people, a subscription paper was circulated and in this manner $800 was quickly raised. Added to this is $800 subscribed by the local Red Cross chapter, besides an immense amount of clothing and furnishings.
Mr. Hall is employed by the Bartholomew Bros. And the family consisted of himself and wife; Bessie, aged 14 years; Eva, aged 12 years; Ethel, aged 9 years; Louise, aged 7 years; Lena, aged 5 years; Charles aged 4 years; and Marjorie Edith aged 17 months.
The property in which the Hall family lived was owned by them and was insured for about $700 according to reports. Insurance was also carried on the children, Eva being insured for $144 and the baby for $26 in the Prudential.
(NOTE: These two girls are buried in Park Lawn Cemetery, Barry, Illinois but could not find any tombstone(s).
They are buried in Section A, as are the rest of the “Hall” family.)
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