A disastrous fire of mysterious origin in a double dwelling at 1019 Louisa Street about 2:30 o’clock this morning came near causing the death of the occupants. Walter, wife and daughter, Grace, the latter 13 years of age, all jumped 18 feet from a second story window and escaped with minor injuries. The baby, 19 months old, was rescued by means of a string of bed clothes which the father lowered to the yard below. The family, all of whom slept in the rear room, were awakened by the cries of the family cat, which was crouching at the foot of the children’s bed. The flames had already enveloped the stairway and the window was the only means of escape. 

The house of was completely gutted, entailing a loss of about $1,000, fully insured by the owner, Charles Ephlin. Mr. Williams: loss will probably reach $1,000 of which $399 is covered by insurance. The household contents are practically a total loss, including the family’s clothing. 

The fire presumably started in the chimney of the kitchen stove and burned along the floor beneath the room where the family slept. 

The smoke poured through the bed chamber through a register in the floor. Mr. Williams and his wife as soon as aroused plugged this shut with a pillow, they opened a door leading to the stairway but were met with a great puff of flame and smoke which blew out the lighted lamp and left the room in darkness. By closing the door again, the fire was kept back just long enough to enable them to jump from the window. 

Mrs. Williams was the first to make the leap. She lowered herself to her arm’s length and then let go. The ground was frozen, but she was practically uninjured. She called for her husband to throw the daughter down to her, but Mr. Williams with great presence of mind told the daughter that he would assist her in making the jump. He then tied the baby boy in a bed sheet and lowered him to the mother’s arms after throwing two trunks out the window he was obliged to jump for his life as the flames were already burning in the room. Not one stopped to dress, and all of their clothes were burned. 

At the time of the escape no one was aware of the fire. Robert G. Guise, who resides next door, was awakened and he sent word to the fire department. A policeman, who saw the fire from Grier Street, was the next on the scene. Mrs. Williams and her children were cared for by the Guise family. The fire company including headquarters. O, Cos. 2,3,6 and the Hays truck were remarkably quick in their response. In 10 minutes after the receipt of the alarm they were on the scene. The wind was a veritable gale at the time, and they checked and controlled the flames rapidly. 

As to the origin of the fire there is no direct evidence for the evidence of any theory. 

Mrs. Williams sustained a severe cut and bruise to his knee as the result of his leap form the window and required several stitches and was treated by Dr.Konkle. The daughter, Grace, suffered a bruise to the face and Mr. Williams was uninjured.