A Near-Fatal Boarding House Fire on Fourth Avenue

Three persons had narrow escapes from death in a burning building on Fourth Avenue, between Pike and Pine streets, yesterday morning about 6:30 o'clock. One of them, John Becker, was rescued in an insensible condition by Capt. Joseph Latham, of Truck No. 1, and the other two, Sarah Kelso and Annie Paxon, managed to escape from the burning building by their own efforts. For about three months, Sarah Kelso, assisted by Annie Paxton, has been running a boarding house in a two-story frame structure of not over stable construction. Yesterday morning the two women arose as usual to get breakfast, working by the light of a kerosene lamp. Suddenly there was a flare up; the lamp seemed to be on fire and both women approached it. The next moment there was an explosion and the lamp was blown into fragments. The oil ignited and went in all directions, striking Annie Paxon on the face, arms and hands, burning her severely. In a short time, the flames spread through the lower part of the house, meeting slight opposition from the thin partitions. When the fire apparatus arrived, Chief Hunt and Latham rushed into the building and made their way to the upper story amidst blinding smoke. Latham found John Becker, a barber, stretched at full length on the floor at the side of his bed, overcome by smoke. Latham picked up the body and made for the head of the stairs, eventually carrying him to safety. The fire was confined to the lower story, with losses estimated at $700.