The Newport Miner   August 25, 1910  Page 1

FOREST FIRES BRING
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
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Fanned by High Winds of Saturday
Smouldering Blazes Unite in Wall of Fire
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THREE PERSONS ARE KNOWN
TO HAVE PERISHED
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LOST WIFE, MOTHER AND HOME.

    Mrs. Ernest Deinhardt, whose home adjoined the Bobler place, six miles north of Newport, is dead, a victim of the fire. The fire reached the Deinhardt place about 5:30 p.m. The family, consisting of father, mother and two sons were making preparations to fight the fire that they saw coming over the hills toward their home when the first embers came and set fire to the buildings. In order to work to advantage the father became separated from the rest of the family. The first embers started a fire running up the hill in the direction of the big fire rapidly approaching. They were certain that the back fire would afford them protection when the big gale and wall of flames struck the place and seemed to leap clear over the small valley. When it came the father was carried off his feet by the wind and lost track of his family. The mother took the two sons into a root cellar believing that they would be safe but the little fellows could not be persuaded that the place was safe and urging their mother to accompany them left it. The mother refused to heed their pleadings to accompany them and when they got outside the gust of wind picked them up and carried them some distance. The distracted father thought all lost in the rush of the flames and wind but when the smoke lifted for an instant found his sons close beside him. The three fled into the burning forest and providentially came to a place where a big tamarack had been uprooted a few minutes before leaving a hole about four feet deep. Into this hole the father plunged dragging his sons with him. They covered themselves as well as possible with dirt and saved their lives but the father and youngest son were fearfully burned about the face and hands, the older son escaping with lesser burns.
    After remaining in the hole about four hours they started through the burnt woods to the Bobler home where they arrived about one o'clock in the morning. The sons were worn out with the terror and exertion of their experience and the father put them to rest, then for four hours more fought the fire that was threatening the Bobler home, with his burned and paining hands carrying water from the creek and tearing down a picket fence along which the fire was spreading. It was a hard battle but he won out. His own home was completely wiped out, but a few head of cattle survived.
    Monday afternoon the body of Mrs. Deinhardt, almost cremated, was disinterred from the root cellar, and was brought to Newport. Funeral services were held at the Harding Undertaking Parlors Tuesday afternoon, Rev. Jacquemin officiating. Kind friends had provided floral emblems and did everything to assuage the pitiable grief of the father and sons. The plight of this family excites the pity of all. They had a comfortable home in which they took great pride, having carved it from the wilderness. From comfort and happiness to destitution and bereavement in the loss of a good wife and mother, there was an interval of but a few minutes – a shock that was almost beyond human endurance.
    Mrs. Deinhardt was born at __ Niederzimmern, Saxe-Weimer, Germany, in 1862. She was married to Ernest Deinhardt in 1896 and they came to this country in 1898 and have made their home for twelve years on the place north of town. Her every interest ay in the home life and she labored faithfully beside her husband to make the home of which they were so proud. Mrs. Adam Voss, a near neighbor, was a sister of deceased and Hugo Luleich, of Indian Creek, a brother. Other relatives live in Germany.