Tragedy in the Woods: Two Brothers Die in Fire
A ranching family returns to their home near Colby to find their children dead in the ashes, sparking a community effort to assist the destitute parents.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
News was brought to the city yesterday of a sad accident which occurred Sunday evening two miles south of Colby, in Kitsap county, in which two sons of Albert Baxter, a rancher, were burned to death and the family residence laid in ashes. Early Sunday morning the two boys, aged 16 and 7 years respectively, left home on a visit to some neighbors. Later in the day, about 5 or 6 o'clock, the parents started on a similar trip, taking with them their little girl, who is about 4 years old. The boys had not returned, but the house was left so that they could effect an entrance without waiting for the parents. About 8 o'clock in the evening the parents, together with the little girl, came back, only to find their home in ashes and no trace of the boys. Anxiety and grief prompted them to search the ruins, and on poking the ashes about they came upon the charred remains of their two sons. How the fire started is not definitely known, as no one saw or heard of it until it was all over. Albert Baxter is a rancher who was in poor circumstances before the fire which robbed him of his two sons, his home and all his personal property. At present the family are in destitute circumstances and without means of support or clothes other than those on their backs. The kind-hearted neighbors have appointed a committee to solicit aid. Contributions may be left with M. M. Grout at the Seattle Hardware Company's store, Front and Marion streets.
“Anxiety and grief prompted them to search the ruins, and on poking the ashes about they came upon the charred remains of their two sons.”
This 1892 report highlights the extreme vulnerability of rural families before modern fire safety and social services, relying on the 'kind-hearted' charity of neighbors. Today, while fire services are robust, the story echoes modern reports of house fires devastating vulnerable renters and families who lack the resources to recover from sudden, total property loss.
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