Fire at Green Bank, 1875
New Jersey Courier 28 Oct 1875
Dear Sir--A terrible case of burning occurred about a mile from this village last Saturday night, by which one life was lost and another person was severely burned. The circumstances as near as can be learned, are as follows: Hannah Cranmer, a middle aged lady, living alone with her grandson, Conrad Predmore, aged about twelve years, was awakened at about half past twelve last Saturday night, by a sense of suffocation, and upon springing out of bed, found the floor so hot as to burn her feet. She awakened the child, who slept with her, and they hastened to escape by the door, but upon opening it, the flames and smoke rolled in upon them, cutting off their egress by the stair-way. There was no way of escape now ut the window, and no time to throw a bed out, for the floor was trembling beneath them. She told the child to jump out first, and she would follow. He did not want to jump out of the window, saying,"I am afraid to do it, Grandma; it will kill me." Failing to persuade him to make the leap and finding the situation growing more dangerous, she raised the sash, and sprang out, but the window fell, catching one of her feet under it. The heat from the floor, and from the flames which the draft from the open window had drawn through the door, was unbearable, and feeling that she would soon perish she begged the boy to raise the sash and free her foot. He answered, "I can't, grandma, I can't get through the flames." By almost superhuman efforts, she succeeded in drawing herself up, so as to reach the window with her hand, and get her foot out, and fell to the ground. Then burned as she was, and bruised by the fall, she dragged herself to the well, and with her torn and blistered hands, drew three buckets of water, and raised the window, calling upon the boy to try and get out, but she never heard anything from the time she fell from the window. It is supposed he was smothered by the smoke. She heard the floor fall in while she was drawing the water. Feeling it was useless to try longer to save the child, she started for the residence of Mr. Walter Weeks, a quarter of a mile distant, and roused them. How she ever got there is a mystery, with one foot almost cooked to the bone, with nothing on but a night dress, and the night very cold. She did not seem to realize her own sufferings, but was almost wild over the fate of her grandson, to whom she was deeply attached, and who was a good, intelligent boy. Her burns were dressed by Mr. Weeks family, and she was taken to the residence of her brother, Mr.William Cranmer, near Lower Bank, where she is kindly cared for. The doctor gives hope for her recovery, though it is feared without the use of either hand. Neighbors repaired to the building as soon as possible, but only to find a heap of embers, out of which they raked a charred, and shapeless little mess, all that was left of Conrad. It happened that the fire originated in the chimney.
Dear Sir--A terrible case of burning occurred about a mile from this village last Saturday night, by which one life was lost and another person was severely burned. The circumstances as near as can be learned, are as follows: Hannah Cranmer, a middle aged lady, living alone with her grandson, Conrad Predmore, aged about twelve years, was awakened at about half past twelve last Saturday night, by a sense of suffocation, and upon springing out of bed, found the floor so hot as to burn her feet. She awakened the child, who slept with her, and they hastened to escape by the door, but upon opening it, the flames and smoke rolled in upon them, cutting off their egress by the stair-way. There was no way of escape now ut the window, and no time to throw a bed out, for the floor was trembling beneath them. She told the child to jump out first, and she would follow. He did not want to jump out of the window, saying,"I am afraid to do it, Grandma; it will kill me." Failing to persuade him to make the leap and finding the situation growing more dangerous, she raised the sash, and sprang out, but the window fell, catching one of her feet under it. The heat from the floor, and from the flames which the draft from the open window had drawn through the door, was unbearable, and feeling that she would soon perish she begged the boy to raise the sash and free her foot. He answered, "I can't, grandma, I can't get through the flames." By almost superhuman efforts, she succeeded in drawing herself up, so as to reach the window with her hand, and get her foot out, and fell to the ground. Then burned as she was, and bruised by the fall, she dragged herself to the well, and with her torn and blistered hands, drew three buckets of water, and raised the window, calling upon the boy to try and get out, but she never heard anything from the time she fell from the window. It is supposed he was smothered by the smoke. She heard the floor fall in while she was drawing the water. Feeling it was useless to try longer to save the child, she started for the residence of Mr. Walter Weeks, a quarter of a mile distant, and roused them. How she ever got there is a mystery, with one foot almost cooked to the bone, with nothing on but a night dress, and the night very cold. She did not seem to realize her own sufferings, but was almost wild over the fate of her grandson, to whom she was deeply attached, and who was a good, intelligent boy. Her burns were dressed by Mr. Weeks family, and she was taken to the residence of her brother, Mr.William Cranmer, near Lower Bank, where she is kindly cared for. The doctor gives hope for her recovery, though it is feared without the use of either hand. Neighbors repaired to the building as soon as possible, but only to find a heap of embers, out of which they raked a charred, and shapeless little mess, all that was left of Conrad. It happened that the fire originated in the chimney.
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