Friday evening at about 6 p.m., Mrs. Robert Metzger discovered the Walter Deyoe farm home east of Coldwater in flames. She immediately sent her children running to the nearest neighbor, John Herd to send in the alarm. Richard Deyoe who was returning home with the cows sighted flames and smoke pouring from the windows of the house. He ran several hundred yards to the house and assisted Mrs. Metzger, who was throwing buckets of water through the windows. Richard told the Star's reporter that he had been in the house only 15 minutes before and that everything seemed normal.Mr. and Mrs. Deyoe were in Colorado at the time of the fire. They had left the day before but weren't contacted until Sunday noon due to their moving around. Finally at Arapahoe, Colo., a phone call found the traveling Deyoe's. Upon hearing the news, Mr. Deyoe said the loss, although great, was comparatively little since no one was hurt or burned in the fire. And how right he is.
Mr. Deyoe also expressed his thanks to the many friends and neighbors who helped put out the fire and especially to Mrs. John Herd who sent the alarm in and called the neighbors who all responded with genuine heartfelt readiness to help a neighbor, a fine example of the typical Kansan. Within a very short while after the alarm, a crowd, estimated at between five and six hundred people gathered to help as best they could.
The insurance adjuster said that the fire started in the attic from causes unknown. But it was thought that the fire could have been caused by defective wiring.
The Deyoe family will move to the John Herd house located on the old Carleton place east of town until sufficient repairs and rebuilding can be made.
This was a serious fire which makes everyone more than ever conscious that, "It might happen to us."
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!
This RootsWeb website is being created by HTML Guy Jerry Ferrin with the able assistance of many Contributors. Your comments, suggestions and contributions of historical information and photographs to this site are welcome. Please sign the Guest Book. This page was last updated 08 January 2006.