THE TRAGEDY OF A FIRE

Woman Was Burned Alive at Welland

McAlpine Homestead Burned in the Night Time

[People's Press, 26 April 1910]

Mrs. Sarah Haun was burned alive, and her remains were found in the cellar where they had fallen. Her death was the human toll collected by the fire fiend.

It happened in the early hours of Monday morning when the McAlpine homestead on the river road went up in flames.

At the cry of alarm Mr. McAlpine got up, and found the back part of the house in flames. His wife lay very ill in bed, but his granddaughter arose.

They called to Mrs. Haun to get out while there was yet time. They went in her room and begged her to come before it was too late, but it was in vain. Mrs. Haun would not leave till she was dressed, and even then, with a lamp in her hand, she started across the hall to another room in which she had left her hand satchel. The flames were raging fiercely in the stairway and she was overcome, and her remains were not found until late in the morning.

It was a little after three o’clock when the family discovered their house was on fire. The fire was so far advanced that there was but little time to do anything. The girls, Minnie and Blanche, daughters of Bruce McAlpine, but who were staying at their grandfathers, were forced to get out in their night clothing, shoeless and stockingless, and Mrs. McAlpine, who was in feeble health, was wrapped in a blanket and taken to a neighbors. Gordon Haun, aged 14, escaped safely. It was he who alarmed the household.

Ormond Gilchriese was the first to see the fire from his residence on East Main street, about 3.15, and, while Doug Payne telephoned in the alarm, Ormond hastened to the scene of conflagration. The McAlpine girls told him Mrs. Haun was inside, and he tried to get in, but the flames made it impossible. He carried Mrs. McAlpine down to Mrs. Fischer’s and returned.

The night operator at the central station received the message of fire and telephoned to Dr. Colbeck’s office, as no answer came from the town hall. Dr. Colbeck got out and rang the bell about 3.20 or 3.25 until Officer Laing arrived.

The firemen got to the scene as quickly as possible with the aid of Chet. Tufts’ team, and it required the hose from two carts to reach from the hydrant on Burgar street to the blaze, the building being in the outskirts of the town.

Sparks were flying as far as the registry office, and it is fortunate the night was wet and not very windy.

The building was a frame one and, although old, Mr. McAlpine had put some $1200 worth of improvements upon it recently. There was no insurance on the house or contents and very little of the latter were saved. Among the losses was a valuable piano.

An inquest was held in the town hall on Monday afternoon, when the jury returned a verdict that Mrs. Haun was burned to death owing to her own negligence in not making her escape when she was told to.

Mrs. Sarah Haun, the victim, of the fire, was a widow, aged between 55 years and 60 years. She had been at Upper’s hotel, Allanburg, off and on for about 18 months, and left about three weeks ago to go to Mr. McAlpine’s where her son worked. She originally came from Stevensville. She was not considered of very bright intellect. She worked for Jno. Webber near Port Robinson, at one time.

Fire: 25 April 1910