1950 — March 2, residential family home fire (kitchen oil stove suspected), Monson, ME–  8

–8  Portland Press Herald. “8 in Family Die in Fire as Monson Home Burns.” 3-3-1950, p. 1.

Narrative Information

March 2, AP: “Monson, March 2. (AP) – Eight members of a family of nine died early today in a fire that swept their home. The lone survivor was a critically burned young mother, Mrs. Norma Smith, 32. Her night-clothing burned off, Mrs. Smith struggled naked through deep snow to seek aid after being led from the blazing house by her husband. He later perished along with their six children and his mother. This little Piscataquis County slate mining town was shocked by the tragedy.

“Mrs. Smith was reported to be in fair condition tonight. She was kept under sedatives at a Dover-Foxcroft hospital – both to ease the pain of her burns and the shock of the tragedy. She knows that she alone survived the flames.

“The victims will be buried all in one casket, after a simple funeral at 2 p.m., Saturday, on Monson’s Congregational Church….

“Nearly every one of the 900 inhabitants knew Teamster Elwood Smith, 36, and his young brood.  Smith died trying to save his children and his mother, Mrs. Harriet Smith, 63. He smashed the glass of a front storm door; led his wife into deep snow and near zero cold and raced back into the flames. Firemen believe he cut himself badly. Blood reddened the snow near the door of the 125-year-old Lower Main Street house.

“The children were Carolyn, 11, Patricia, 9, Malcolm, 7, Robert, 5, Judy, 3, and Cheryl, one.

“Only six months ago the family lost another home by fire….

“Fire Chief Arthur E. Hagstrom said today’s fire apparently started near a kitchen oil stove, spreading swiftly. 

“The grandmother and five children were trapped in upstairs bedrooms. The baby and her parents slept on the first floor….

“At Augusta, the state’s chief fire inspector  termed the fire a warning to others to check their heating equipment closely….”  (Portland Press Herald, ME “8 in Family Die in Fire as Monson Home Burns.” 3-3-1950, p. 1.)

March 2, AP wire photo and description: “Six Children Dead In Fire.” – The six children of the Elwood Smith family, of Monson, Me., killed today in a hours fire in which their father and grandmother also died, are pictured in a phot made just before Christmas last December. Children are, left to right [we omit photo and break names out of paragraph into single lines],

Patricia Pearl, 9;

Robert Percy, 5;

Judith Ann, 3;

Malcolm Elwood, 7;

Carolyn Louise, 11.

In front is baby Cheryl Lee, 1.

(Associated Press. “Six Children Dead in Fire.” The Lowell Sun, MA, 3-2-1950, p. 25.)

Source

Associated Press. “Six Children Dead in Fire.” The Lowell Sun, MA, 3-2-1950, p. 25. Accessed 8-29-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lowell-sun-mar-02-1950-p-42/

Portland Press Herald, ME. “8 in Family Die in Fire as Monson Home Burns.” 3-3-1950, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=10124674&sterm=monson

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