Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 March 1909 — MRS. GEO. BALES STEPS ON LIVE WIRE [ARTICLE]

MRS. GEO. BALES STEPS ON LIVE WIRE

Rescued After Receiving Serioaa Injuries. Further particulars are at hand re* garding the destruction of Feorge Bales’ fine residence at Goodland, brief mention of which was made in an earlier edition of the Republican., At Mr. Bales was a former resident of Rensselaer, the following account of the fire from the Goodland Herald will be of interest to our readers: Tuesday morning the fine reldenoo of George Bales at Goodland, having caught fire from a telephone wire that had broken and fell aero# the electric light wire. The broken wire was connected on tee other! end to tee Bales’ phone and run, oh the ground to an electric light pole on Way land avenue where tee two wires Were crossed. Mr. E. C. Fountain was accompanying his wife to the Panhandle passenger train) and when they started west from their home, which id on the corner of Benton and Way land Ave., they noticed sparks from the crossed wires atpl turned down James street to avoid the wire. When they arrived at the depot Mr. Fountain decided to lnvestigat# and started to tee Bales’ home, going by way of Newon street, and upon arriving there he found that the wire had set fire to the building be* tween the sheathing and walls, working to the roof, and about 5:30 fire was shooting through the roof. Mr. and Mrs. Bales were awakened and attention was given to saving what furniture they could an 4 | succeeded in saving all from tee loweu floor and- part from the second. Mrs. Bales tells that she got out of bed as soon as she could and ran for help. She said that phe went the back way to call the Fox family and staried across the lot the other way to call Bassett’s when she came in contact with the cross telephone wire. She realized at the time what had got into, but was unable to for help. George Drummond was the first party to discover her and tried to pull her from tee wire but wag knocked down. Mr. A. P. Hawn, who was trying to save some articles from the second story, witnessed Drummond’s courageous effort to save Mrs. Mrs. Bales, and seeing that tee boy could not make any headway leaped from the window, and from tee boy’g experience he had presence of enough not to take hold of her body but taught hold of her clothes and pulled her from the wire and laid her on some bedding that he had thrown from the window. Willing I hands carried her to the heme of Dr. C. C. Bassett, where she received medical attention. It was found that she received two burns, one flesh bum near the right knee and a very severe burn on her left foot, which will maim her tor life. The large toe was burned off, and about 9:30 Drs. Kennedy and Bassett amputated a portion of her left foot On a bias from her small toe, after this operation 1 twas found there was no life in the flesh below the ankle. At present Mrs. Bales is doing as well as could be expected under the cir- ■ cumstances, and nothing but tee best results are hoped tor. The household effects that were saved were takhold effects that were saved were taken to the home of Mrs. Bales’ parwhere they will be stored until they can rebuild. The Bales residence was among the finest In the county and the people j of Goodland regretted very much to J have It wiped out. There was something like $2,000 Insurance carried on the house and S4OO on the household goods. No thought is given the loss of property, all are deeply grieved over Mrs. Bales’ misfortune, as it will be months before she will be able to be out agaiin.