1954 — April 3, Explosion and fire, kerosene poured in home stove, Glouster, OH — 6

–6 Athens Messenger, OH. “Twenty Die in Accidents.” 4-5-1954, p. 1.
–6 Lima News, OH. “Five Children, Mother Die as Home Burns.” 4-3-1954, p. 1.
–6 NFPA. “Editorials.” Quarterly, Vol. 48, No. 3, Jan 1955, p. 193.
–6 Sunday Messenger, Athens, OH. “Mother, Five Children Die in Glouster Blaze.” 4-4-1954, 1

Narrative Information

April 3: “Glouster, Ohio (AP) — A fire sparked by coal oil poured on a stove flashed through a frame cottage here early today and burned to death a mother and five of her six children. Dead were Mrs. Garnet Richards 25, and her children Mildred, 8; Robert. 6; Lawrence Ray, 4; Freda Mae, 3; and William, 9 months.

“The father, Lawrence, 29, escaped from the house with a son, Charles Edwin, 2, but suffered burns on his back and arm. The blaze singed the hair of the child who escaped.

“Richards told Sheriff George Bateman and Glouster police all members of the family slept in one room of the one-story, four-room frame building perched on the side of a hill in the Waterworks Hill area, at the northwestern limits of Glouster, Athens County community of about 2,400.

“The area is somewhat isolated, and there were no telephones in the vicinity. Firemen were not notified until about a half hour after the flames had destroyed the house.” (Lima News, OH. “Five Children, Mother Die as Home Burns.” 4-3-1954, p. 1.)

April 4: “Glouster — Six members of the Lawrence Richards family perished here early Saturday morning when a kerosene explosion turned their frame house into a roaring furnace. Dead are: Mrs. Garnet Richards, 25; and five of the six Richards children, Billy Joe, age 10 months; Robert Lee, 6; Mildred Marie, 8; Freda May, 3; and Lawrence Ray, 4. Only the father, Lawrence, a 29-year-old unemployed coal miner, and Charles Edward, age 2, escaped as the flames destroyed their home atop Water Works Hill.

“Richards, who was burned about the arms and back, gave this account of the tragedy. His wife awakened about 5:15 a. m and was trying to start the fire in a stove in the bedroom. As she poured kerosene from a jug there was a blinding flash and the room was “full of fire.” Richards was awake at the time. He said his wife screamed, then ran into a closet. Unable to see because of the flames, Richards said he “felt around,” until he touched one of the children. He picked up the child, Chuck, and ran onto the unpaved road. By that time the house was filled with flames and Richards was unable to return for any of the other children.

“The story of the explosion was substantiated by an elderly neighbor, A. W. Kearney, who lives about 30 yards south of the Richards home. He told Glouster Police Chief Ray Fulton and Athens County Coroner Dr. John H. Elias that he heard the report. “I went outside and there was a bright light in the house (Richards’ home). He (Richards) was running up and down the road screaming “what can I do, what can I do?” “I ran to the house and pulled off a screen, and broke a window but it was too hot. There was a funny noise from the inside, then I got away.” Kearney set the time of the explosion at about 5:15 a. m.

“Richards also told officers that Kearney attempted to get into the house by breaking a window. In a matter of minutes the entire house was involved, and within 20 minutes the building was destroyed. The family dog, tied under the back porch, was also killed in the fire.” (Sunday Messenger, Athens, OH. “Mother, Five Children Die in Glouster Blaze.” 4-4-1954, p.1.)

April 5: “The deaths Saturday of Mrs. Garnet Richardson and her five children in a fire that destroyed their Glouster home accounted for six of 20 accidental deaths in Ohio over the weekend.” (Athens Messenger, OH. “Twenty Die in Accidents.” 4-5-1954, p. 1.)

Sources

Athens Messenger, Athens, OH. “Twenty Die in Accidents.” 4-5-1954, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=34783944&sterm=fire+five+children

Lima News, OH. “Five Children, Mother Die as Home Burns.” 4-3-1954, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=16072680&sterm=fire+five+children

National Fire Protection Association. “Editorials. Still Our Greatest Human Challenge!” Quarterly, Vol. 48, No. 3, Jan 1955, p. 193.

Sunday Messenger, Athens, OH. “Mother, Five Children Die in Glouster Blaze.” 4-4-1954, 1. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=34783910&sterm=fire+five+children