Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1887 — A HEART RENDING CALAMITY [ARTICLE]

A HEART RENDING CALAMITY

That Overwhelmed the Family of a Former Janiierite. On the night of December 10, near Wessington, Dakota, a dire calamity overwhelmed the family of a former resident of this county. The particulars of which are given below', in an extract from the Chicago Inter-Ocean: Fuller particulars are received relative to the burning of Michael Harris’ house, and with seven members of the family, on Saturday night, They lived in a two story frame house on a farm in the Wessington hills, and less than twelve miles from Wessington. Ail slept in the upper story and in one room. There were eleven members of the family, eight children, Michael Harris and wife, and the wife’s brother, a man by the name of Parr. Harris thinks it was about midnight when he and his wife were awakened by the crackling of fire, and nearly sufficated with smoke. He tried to go down stairs, but flames and smoko drove him back. Seeing no other escape he threw up a window, and jumped out into the snow with only his night clothes on. He culled to his wife and Parr to throw the children out to him and he would save them. The wife threw the babe, which he safely caught in his arms, Then Parr jumped out to save himself, and Harris’ oldest boy, aged 14, wont also. Mrs. Harris looked at them an instant, then turned to the other six children, who by this time had huddled around her, and was on the point of picking up one of them when the timbers of the house gave way below, burned off by the flames, and let the roof and all down upon them. The seven sonk to the bed of embers, and were heard screaming for help, but in a moment or two their voices were stilled.

The men were paralized with horror and unable to do anything to save those in the fire. It was a bitter night, with the wind blowing thirty miles an hour and the mercury eight or ten below zero, but Parr mounted a horse and rode two miles in his sliirt and drawers for help, while Harris tookhistwo saved children into the barn and covered them up straw as well as he could. All were severely frozen, and the baby can hardly survive its injuries. Mr. Harris formerly lived m Carpenter township and later mov ed to Beaver Prairie, Newton county. His wife was the daughter of Wm. Parr, still living in Jackson tp., and he has a sister in Remington, Mrs. Ezra Bowman.