Jarvis Fire
Paris Post, Thursday, 2 December 1920
Last Monday evening at Bloomington, the home of Bert Jarvis
caught fire and was later destroyed by flames. His 14 year old daughter was
trapped in a room in a garret of the building and held there by the fire and was
rescued by him.
Mrs. Jarvis was in bed in the room adjacent to the kitchen, the door to both rooms partly open, a baby 14 days old and a daughter of 10 years was with her. She had been dreaming of fire and awoke in a state of half strangling when she noticed the room was illuminated from the fire in the kitchen. She called to her husband who was doing his chores at the barn and he came to the house on the run. They called to two children and George Jarvis who was upstairs and the came down. May the oldest of the two girls started back to gather up her clothes and when she attempted to go downstairs the fire had made such headway that is was impossible to get to the bottom.
Mr. Jarvis fought his way through the kitchen to the stairs and to the top. Taking her in his arms, he rushed to the staircase but was forced back twice. He became desperate and the fire was burning both of them. She sought escape through the small window making a dash like head first through the opening with his daughter in his arms. He fell into the arms of his brother, George, 15 feet below who had anticipated this means of escape and was waiting for him.
May walked with her father to their neighbors place and very little attention was given both of them in the excitement of the fire. Not until Jarvis' burns began paining and May became faint with the burns on her body, was the seriousness of their condition was realized. Medical attention was summoned and they were given every care.
The home and everything in it were destroyed by fire.