1954 — Jan 21, Stove Explodes, Home Burns, mother, 4 children die, Gordon, NE — 5

— 5 AP. “Mother, 4 Small Children Die in Fire.” Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. 1-22-1954.
— 5 National Fire Protection Association “Editorials.” Quarterly, Vol. 48, No. 3, Jan 1955, 193.

Narrative Information

Jan 22: “Gordon, Neb. (AP) – A mother and her four small children died Thursday in a fire as her husband groped blindly through dense smoke in an effort to save them. Dr. R. L. Gangarosa, 33, was critically burned as flames swept through his two-story home. He was forced to jump from a second floor window to save his own life. The fire claimed the lives of his 33-year-old wife, and their children, Ralph, 6; Christopher, 5; Carol, 4; and Mary, 2. Fire Chief Bill Davis said the fire may have started when a stove exploded. The charred bodies of the two boys were found in a downstairs bedroom, the mother and two girls upstairs.” (Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. “Mother, 4 Small Children Die in Fire.” 1-22-1954, Sec. 2, p. 6.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Mother, 4 Small Children Die in Fire.” Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. 1-22-1954, Sec. 2, p. 6. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=100032878&sterm

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