Homeless After Christmas Eve Fire
A family on the brink is left destitute after their home is consumed by fire while they visited friends.
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.
At 7 o'clock last evening the residence of M. Hogan caught fire and burned to the ground. The family, consisting of mother, two sons, daughter-in-law and three little children, were all absent at a friend's for supper. Mr. Hogan, the father, was formerly an employee of the Great Northern railway and was recently severely hurt by being struck by an engine on that line, and is at present an inmate of Providence hospital of Everett. The sons here can secure but irregular employment, and the fire leaves the entire family not only homeless, but destitute. But few things were saved and there was no insurance. A collection was started on the ground and netted about $25 towards a new home for them.
“The fire leaves the entire family not only homeless, but destitute.”
This story highlights the fragility of working-class housing in the region at the turn of the century, mirroring modern concerns about the lack of a social safety net for families displaced by catastrophe or injury.
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