The Youngest Was Saved; Three Children Died in the Embers
A two-story home in Wallula burned on the night of July 3, killing three of four grandchildren inside. The youngest child survived; the others were found in the charred ruins.
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.
Three children burned to death. Fire at Wallula on the night of July 3 destroyed a two-story dwelling occupied by Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Green and their four grandchildren, all girls, ranging in age from 4 to 12 years. The youngest child was saved, and the others perished, their charred bodies being found in the embers.
“The youngest child was saved, and the others perished, their charred bodies being found in the embers.”
In 1894 a rural house fire could become a death trap before any organized fire response could arrive. The story is a reminder of how much smoke alarms, building codes, and fire departments have changed the odds—and how quickly a summer night could turn catastrophic for a family.
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