Exploding Oil Stove Levels Family Home at Hover
A visiting family loses their entire library and most of their possessions in a fast-moving house fire.
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.
Last Saturday afternoon, about 3 o'clock, the house owned by Mr. Dietrich, of Kelso, was destroyed by fire caused by the explosion of an oil stove. The house was occupied by J. K. Busch and family, who were visiting the area for the fruit season. Mr. Busch was the only member of the family at home at the time of the accident and was severely burned while trying to extinguish the blaze. Unable to do so, he attempted to save what he could of his books and furniture, but the fire spread so rapidly that only a few pieces were saved. Their library, consisting of about 2,000 volumes, was burned. A small amount of insurance was carried.
“The fire spread so rapidly that only a few pieces were saved. Their library, consisting of about 2,000 volumes, was burned.”
While oil stove fires were common household disasters in the 1910s, this story highlights the precarious housing situation for seasonal fruit workers—a struggle that continues to echo in the modern housing challenges faced by the agricultural workforce in the Tri-Cities.
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