A Child's Fatal Fire at Point Roberts
The second son of Alexander Hahn died after his clothes caught fire while playing with his brother.
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 Point Roberts, on Thursday, 1st April, the second son of Mr. Alexander Hahn was so severely burned that he died within three days. It appears that the mother left the house for a few moments, and during her absence the child, while playing with his little brother, set his clothes on fire. When his mother discovered the accident and told him of it, he immediately ran out of doors, where his little brother, who distinguished himself by his presence of mind, extinguished the flames; but too late—the injuries proved fatal.
“But too late—the melancholy work was done.”
In 1859, a moment's inattention could turn a household accident into a tragedy, with medical help days away. Today, fire safety education and emergency response have transformed outcomes, but the story remains a reminder of how fragile life was—and is—in remote communities.
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