Daughter of Eugene, Lane County, Oregon pioneers Mahlon Hall and Frances Burris (Tandy) Harlow. Married to Uriah F. W. Abshier on 06 Apr 1887. Their son Joel Harlow Abshier survived her and was raised by his maternal grandmother in Eugene.
On December 24, 1894, a large gathering of Lake County families were assembled together to enjoy a Christmas Eve children's pageant in Silver Lake. The play was being held in an upstairs dance hall located above a local merchant's storerooms. Men and women in the community and the students of Paul J. Brattain had prepared plays, recitations, songs, and special numbers on the organ, fiddle, and harmonica.
[The younger brother of Celeste (Brattain) Small, Paul Jacob Brattain (1870-1954) was the teacher. Both Celeste Small and Paul Brattain were grandchildren of Rev. Jacob Gillespie, the eldest and youngest, respectively, children of his daughter, Permelia (Gillespie) Brattain and Lake County Sheriff, Thomas Jefferson Brattain.]
The young great-grandson of Rev. Jacob Gillespie, Robert James Small was in attendance at this event. Presumably, his parents, James M. and Celeste (Brattain) Small and his 13-year-old sister, Permelia Belle Small were also there with Robert.
Rev. Jacob Gillespie's daughter-in-law, Damaris Tandy (Benson) Gillespie's first cousin, Juda (Harlow) Abshier was also at the celebration. [Juda Joanna (Harlow) Abshier was the daughter of Damaris' mother's sister. Damaris's mother, Sarah Scott (Tandy) Benson-McClure's sister was Frances Burris (Tandy) Harlow, who was married to Mahlon Hall Harlow.] Presumably, Juda (Harlow) Abshier's husband, Uriah Abshier and 5-year-old son, Joel Harlow Abshier were in attendance at the Christmas Eve pageant.
Also attending were Augustus "Gus" Schroder and his wife, Lucinda (Comegys) Schroder, who took their small son, Eston, and Lucinda's mother to the Christmas program in the frontier town. Lucinda's mother, Sarilda (Duncan) Comegys, was visiting from Harney County.
The Brattain and Small families were were distant cousins-by-marriage to the Shroder family.
The festivities were held in Clayton Hall, which was located on the upper floor of a two-story wooden frame building and measured 24 feet wide by 50 feet long. It was accessible by an outside stairway and a door which opened inward from the landing at the rear of the building. The second story room served the community for meetings and special functions. The lower floor was occupied by the Chrisman store. A false front faced south. A Christmas tree, garlanded with ropes of paper and popcorn, stood in a corner of the room near the stage.
The program was nearly over when George Payne rose from his seat and began walking across the benches. No one ever knew what his intentions were. His head hit one of the hanging Rochester lamps, sloshing coal oil into the burner and causing the flame to flare up. Francis Chrisman jumped up, removed the lamp from its hanger, and started toward the door with it. Gus Schroder suggested wrapping his coat around the lamp to smother the flames, but before he could do it, the lamp was knocked from Chrisman's hands to the floor. The burning oil spread and the flames quickly engulfed the hall, which was packed with many Lake County area families celebrating the holiday pageant. A panic ensued and by the time it was all over, many of the play participants and pageant-goers had been trapped and burned to death.
Mrs. Schroder rushed her mother to the door and shoved her through onto the landing and the stairs. The crush of people carried Mrs. Comegys to the ground before she could look back for her daughter. She saw Lucinda in the doorway, forcibly holding the door open so that fear-crazed people could not close it and shut off escape.
Mrs. Schroder died at her self-appointed post, while others got out to safety, and somewhere in the building her two-year-old son perished in the flames. Gus Schroder was caught in the earliest rush and forced down the stairs to the ground. Attempts to return to the hall to look for his wife and son were futile. Four years after he lost his wife and first child, Gus Schroder remarried and had five more children.
Juda (Harlow) Abshier's husband and son survived but she was a victim of the Christmas Eve tragedy. Her husband never remarried. Joel Harlow Abshier was laregly raised by his maternal grandmother, Frances Burris (Tandy) Harlow.
Robert James Small also died that night but his parents and older sister all survived. Seven years after her son Robert died, Celeste (Brattain) Small gave birth to her third and last child, Ross Monroe Small.
This was the worst fire in Oregon history. The little town in central Lake County had met with nationally reported tragedy. The dance hall exit door, opening inward, rather than outward, was blamed for the many lives lost. A physician, Dr. Bernard Daly, earned an unwanted measure of wide fame after he drove his buggy from Lakeview through snow nearly one-hundred miles in twenty-four hours to tend to the burned and injured victims of the ghastly Silver Lake fire.
A total of 43 men, women and children, including young Robert James Small, toddler Eston Schroder and 6 other children had all lost their lives.
Later it was remembered that so terrible was the catastrophe that the whole country was dazed at the appalling loss of life and property, and scores of homes were draped in mourning for loved ones. All of the bones that could be located in the rubble were eventually placed in one mass grave and buried at Silver Lake Cemetery. There is a large stone marker at its site. ~~~~~~
Silver Lake, Oregon Fire
December 24, 1894
40 ARE DEAD!
Horrible Holocaust at a Holiday Fete in Oregon.
OVERTURNED LAMP
Sets Fire to the Hall and Escape is Cut Off.
OTHERS WILL DIE.
The Story of the Sad Disaster is Most Graphically Told.
ASHLAND, Ore., Dec. 29. – Advices were received here last evening from Klamath Falls, Ore., of a most horrible and fatal accident at Silver Lake, Lake county, Oregan, [sic], caused by the overturning of a lamp at a gathering on Christmas Eve, in which over forty lives were lost and sixteen persons badly injured, five of whom will probably die. The gathering had assembled in the hall above Christman (sh/be Crisman) Bros.' store, and consisted of children who, with their parents and relatives, were having a grand time and enjoying what Santa Claus had brought them, little dreaming that many of them would never leave the building alive. Some one attempted to get where he could see and hear better by jumping upon a bench in the middle of the hall. In doing so his head struck a lamp hanging from the ceiling causing the oil to run out, which immediately caught fire. While trying to take the lamp down it was tipped so that the oil ran out on the floor. From that time on, the scene was terrible.
The lamp was finally taken down, but it fell to the floor. In the attempt to get it outside, it was kicked to the door, where it lay as it could not be touched on account of the intense heat. People were compelled to rush through the flames in order to reach the door and many perished in the attempt.
The killed are:
MRS. JOHN BUICK, FREDDIE AND BABY.
MRS. OWSLEY.
LILLIAN BRUCE
J. J. BUCK AND DAUGHTER
MRS. SNELLING.
MRS. HOWARD AND TWO CHILDREN.
WOOD HEARST AND WIFE
MRS. COSHOW.
FRANK WEST, WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN.
ED ROWEN.
MISS MCCAULEY.
T. J. LAMBRIES AND CHILD
MRS. WARD
MRS. U. F. ABASHER. [Juda Joanna (Harlow) Abshier]
FRANKIE HORNING
MRS. PAYNE
MRS. NETTIE WILLIAMS AND CHILD
W. CLAY MARTIN AND WIFE
ROBERT SMALL [Robert James Small]
MRS. ELLA WARD AND CHILD
FRANK ROSS, MOTHER AND SISTER
ROY WARD'S CHILD
IRA HAMILTON
MRS. GUS SHROEDER AND CHILD [Lucinda (Comegys) Schroder and Eston Schroder]
The five injured like to die are: Mrs. T. J. Labrie, Bob Snelling and sister, Ed Payne and son.
The building, a two-story structure, including the post office and the entire stock of goods of Christman Bros., were consumed. Further particulars could not be learned last night. Silver Lake is over a hundred miles from Klamath Falls and the stage brought the news to this place.~~~~~~
On December 24, 1894, a large gathering of Lake County families were assembled together to enjoy a Christmas Eve children's pageant in Silver Lake. The play was being held in an upstairs dance hall located above a local merchant's storerooms. Men and women in the community and the students of Paul J. Brattain had prepared plays, recitations, songs, and special numbers on the organ, fiddle, and harmonica.
[The younger brother of Celeste (Brattain) Small, Paul Jacob Brattain (1870-1954) was the teacher. Both Celeste Small and Paul Brattain were grandchildren of Rev. Jacob Gillespie, the eldest and youngest, respectively, children of his daughter, Permelia (Gillespie) Brattain and Lake County Sheriff, Thomas Jefferson Brattain.]
The young great-grandson of Rev. Jacob Gillespie, Robert James Small was in attendance at this event. Presumably, his parents, James M. and Celeste (Brattain) Small and his 13-year-old sister, Permelia Belle Small were also there with Robert.
Rev. Jacob Gillespie's daughter-in-law, Damaris Tandy (Benson) Gillespie's first cousin, Juda (Harlow) Abshier was also at the celebration. [Juda Joanna (Harlow) Abshier was the daughter of Damaris' mother's sister. Damaris's mother, Sarah Scott (Tandy) Benson-McClure's sister was Frances Burris (Tandy) Harlow, who was married to Mahlon Hall Harlow.] Presumably, Juda (Harlow) Abshier's husband, Uriah Abshier and 5-year-old son, Joel Harlow Abshier were in attendance at the Christmas Eve pageant.
Also attending were Augustus "Gus" Schroder and his wife, Lucinda (Comegys) Schroder, who took their small son, Eston, and Lucinda's mother to the Christmas program in the frontier town. Lucinda's mother, Sarilda (Duncan) Comegys, was visiting from Harney County.
The Brattain and Small families were were distant cousins-by-marriage to the Shroder family.
The festivities were held in Clayton Hall, which was located on the upper floor of a two-story wooden frame building and measured 24 feet wide by 50 feet long. It was accessible by an outside stairway and a door which opened inward from the landing at the rear of the building. The second story room served the community for meetings and special functions. The lower floor was occupied by the Chrisman store. A false front faced south. A Christmas tree, garlanded with ropes of paper and popcorn, stood in a corner of the room near the stage.
The program was nearly over when George Payne rose from his seat and began walking across the benches. No one ever knew what his intentions were. His head hit one of the hanging Rochester lamps, sloshing coal oil into the burner and causing the flame to flare up. Francis Chrisman jumped up, removed the lamp from its hanger, and started toward the door with it. Gus Schroder suggested wrapping his coat around the lamp to smother the flames, but before he could do it, the lamp was knocked from Chrisman's hands to the floor. The burning oil spread and the flames quickly engulfed the hall, which was packed with many Lake County area families celebrating the holiday pageant. A panic ensued and by the time it was all over, many of the play participants and pageant-goers had been trapped and burned to death.
Mrs. Schroder rushed her mother to the door and shoved her through onto the landing and the stairs. The crush of people carried Mrs. Comegys to the ground before she could look back for her daughter. She saw Lucinda in the doorway, forcibly holding the door open so that fear-crazed people could not close it and shut off escape.
Mrs. Schroder died at her self-appointed post, while others got out to safety, and somewhere in the building her two-year-old son perished in the flames. Gus Schroder was caught in the earliest rush and forced down the stairs to the ground. Attempts to return to the hall to look for his wife and son were futile. Four years after he lost his wife and first child, Gus Schroder remarried and had five more children.
Juda (Harlow) Abshier's husband and son survived but she was a victim of the Christmas Eve tragedy. Her husband never remarried. Joel Harlow Abshier was laregly raised by his maternal grandmother, Frances Burris (Tandy) Harlow.
Robert James Small also died that night but his parents and older sister all survived. Seven years after her son Robert died, Celeste (Brattain) Small gave birth to her third and last child, Ross Monroe Small.
This was the worst fire in Oregon history. The little town in central Lake County had met with nationally reported tragedy. The dance hall exit door, opening inward, rather than outward, was blamed for the many lives lost. A physician, Dr. Bernard Daly, earned an unwanted measure of wide fame after he drove his buggy from Lakeview through snow nearly one-hundred miles in twenty-four hours to tend to the burned and injured victims of the ghastly Silver Lake fire.
A total of 43 men, women and children, including young Robert James Small, toddler Eston Schroder and 6 other children had all lost their lives.
Later it was remembered that so terrible was the catastrophe that the whole country was dazed at the appalling loss of life and property, and scores of homes were draped in mourning for loved ones. All of the bones that could be located in the rubble were eventually placed in one mass grave and buried at Silver Lake Cemetery. There is a large stone marker at its site. ~~~~~~
Silver Lake, Oregon Fire
December 24, 1894
40 ARE DEAD!
Horrible Holocaust at a Holiday Fete in Oregon.
OVERTURNED LAMP
Sets Fire to the Hall and Escape is Cut Off.
OTHERS WILL DIE.
The Story of the Sad Disaster is Most Graphically Told.
ASHLAND, Ore., Dec. 29. – Advices were received here last evening from Klamath Falls, Ore., of a most horrible and fatal accident at Silver Lake, Lake county, Oregan, [sic], caused by the overturning of a lamp at a gathering on Christmas Eve, in which over forty lives were lost and sixteen persons badly injured, five of whom will probably die. The gathering had assembled in the hall above Christman (sh/be Crisman) Bros.' store, and consisted of children who, with their parents and relatives, were having a grand time and enjoying what Santa Claus had brought them, little dreaming that many of them would never leave the building alive. Some one attempted to get where he could see and hear better by jumping upon a bench in the middle of the hall. In doing so his head struck a lamp hanging from the ceiling causing the oil to run out, which immediately caught fire. While trying to take the lamp down it was tipped so that the oil ran out on the floor. From that time on, the scene was terrible.
The lamp was finally taken down, but it fell to the floor. In the attempt to get it outside, it was kicked to the door, where it lay as it could not be touched on account of the intense heat. People were compelled to rush through the flames in order to reach the door and many perished in the attempt.
The killed are:
MRS. JOHN BUICK, FREDDIE AND BABY.
MRS. OWSLEY.
LILLIAN BRUCE
J. J. BUCK AND DAUGHTER
MRS. SNELLING.
MRS. HOWARD AND TWO CHILDREN.
WOOD HEARST AND WIFE
MRS. COSHOW.
FRANK WEST, WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN.
ED ROWEN.
MISS MCCAULEY.
T. J. LAMBRIES AND CHILD
MRS. WARD
MRS. U. F. ABASHER. [Juda Joanna (Harlow) Abshier]
FRANKIE HORNING
MRS. PAYNE
MRS. NETTIE WILLIAMS AND CHILD
W. CLAY MARTIN AND WIFE
ROBERT SMALL [Robert James Small]
MRS. ELLA WARD AND CHILD
FRANK ROSS, MOTHER AND SISTER
ROY WARD'S CHILD
IRA HAMILTON
MRS. GUS SHROEDER AND CHILD [Lucinda (Comegys) Schroder and Eston Schroder]
The five injured like to die are: Mrs. T. J. Labrie, Bob Snelling and sister, Ed Payne and son.
The building, a two-story structure, including the post office and the entire stock of goods of Christman Bros., were consumed. Further particulars could not be learned last night. Silver Lake is over a hundred miles from Klamath Falls and the stage brought the news to this place.~~~~~~
Daughter of Eugene, Lane County, Oregon pioneers Mahlon Hall and Frances Burris (Tandy) Harlow. Married to Uriah F. W. Abshier on 06 Apr 1887. Their son Joel Harlow Abshier survived her and was raised by his maternal grandmother in Eugene.
On December 24, 1894, a large gathering of Lake County families were assembled together to enjoy a Christmas Eve children's pageant in Silver Lake. The play was being held in an upstairs dance hall located above a local merchant's storerooms. Men and women in the community and the students of Paul J. Brattain had prepared plays, recitations, songs, and special numbers on the organ, fiddle, and harmonica.
[The younger brother of Celeste (Brattain) Small, Paul Jacob Brattain (1870-1954) was the teacher. Both Celeste Small and Paul Brattain were grandchildren of Rev. Jacob Gillespie, the eldest and youngest, respectively, children of his daughter, Permelia (Gillespie) Brattain and Lake County Sheriff, Thomas Jefferson Brattain.]
The young great-grandson of Rev. Jacob Gillespie, Robert James Small was in attendance at this event. Presumably, his parents, James M. and Celeste (Brattain) Small and his 13-year-old sister, Permelia Belle Small were also there with Robert.
Rev. Jacob Gillespie's daughter-in-law, Damaris Tandy (Benson) Gillespie's first cousin, Juda (Harlow) Abshier was also at the celebration. [Juda Joanna (Harlow) Abshier was the daughter of Damaris' mother's sister. Damaris's mother, Sarah Scott (Tandy) Benson-McClure's sister was Frances Burris (Tandy) Harlow, who was married to Mahlon Hall Harlow.] Presumably, Juda (Harlow) Abshier's husband, Uriah Abshier and 5-year-old son, Joel Harlow Abshier were in attendance at the Christmas Eve pageant.
Also attending were Augustus "Gus" Schroder and his wife, Lucinda (Comegys) Schroder, who took their small son, Eston, and Lucinda's mother to the Christmas program in the frontier town. Lucinda's mother, Sarilda (Duncan) Comegys, was visiting from Harney County.
The Brattain and Small families were were distant cousins-by-marriage to the Shroder family.
The festivities were held in Clayton Hall, which was located on the upper floor of a two-story wooden frame building and measured 24 feet wide by 50 feet long. It was accessible by an outside stairway and a door which opened inward from the landing at the rear of the building. The second story room served the community for meetings and special functions. The lower floor was occupied by the Chrisman store. A false front faced south. A Christmas tree, garlanded with ropes of paper and popcorn, stood in a corner of the room near the stage.
The program was nearly over when George Payne rose from his seat and began walking across the benches. No one ever knew what his intentions were. His head hit one of the hanging Rochester lamps, sloshing coal oil into the burner and causing the flame to flare up. Francis Chrisman jumped up, removed the lamp from its hanger, and started toward the door with it. Gus Schroder suggested wrapping his coat around the lamp to smother the flames, but before he could do it, the lamp was knocked from Chrisman's hands to the floor. The burning oil spread and the flames quickly engulfed the hall, which was packed with many Lake County area families celebrating the holiday pageant. A panic ensued and by the time it was all over, many of the play participants and pageant-goers had been trapped and burned to death.
Mrs. Schroder rushed her mother to the door and shoved her through onto the landing and the stairs. The crush of people carried Mrs. Comegys to the ground before she could look back for her daughter. She saw Lucinda in the doorway, forcibly holding the door open so that fear-crazed people could not close it and shut off escape.
Mrs. Schroder died at her self-appointed post, while others got out to safety, and somewhere in the building her two-year-old son perished in the flames. Gus Schroder was caught in the earliest rush and forced down the stairs to the ground. Attempts to return to the hall to look for his wife and son were futile. Four years after he lost his wife and first child, Gus Schroder remarried and had five more children.
Juda (Harlow) Abshier's husband and son survived but she was a victim of the Christmas Eve tragedy. Her husband never remarried. Joel Harlow Abshier was laregly raised by his maternal grandmother, Frances Burris (Tandy) Harlow.
Robert James Small also died that night but his parents and older sister all survived. Seven years after her son Robert died, Celeste (Brattain) Small gave birth to her third and last child, Ross Monroe Small.
This was the worst fire in Oregon history. The little town in central Lake County had met with nationally reported tragedy. The dance hall exit door, opening inward, rather than outward, was blamed for the many lives lost. A physician, Dr. Bernard Daly, earned an unwanted measure of wide fame after he drove his buggy from Lakeview through snow nearly one-hundred miles in twenty-four hours to tend to the burned and injured victims of the ghastly Silver Lake fire.
A total of 43 men, women and children, including young Robert James Small, toddler Eston Schroder and 6 other children had all lost their lives.
Later it was remembered that so terrible was the catastrophe that the whole country was dazed at the appalling loss of life and property, and scores of homes were draped in mourning for loved ones. All of the bones that could be located in the rubble were eventually placed in one mass grave and buried at Silver Lake Cemetery. There is a large stone marker at its site. ~~~~~~
Silver Lake, Oregon Fire
December 24, 1894
40 ARE DEAD!
Horrible Holocaust at a Holiday Fete in Oregon.
OVERTURNED LAMP
Sets Fire to the Hall and Escape is Cut Off.
OTHERS WILL DIE.
The Story of the Sad Disaster is Most Graphically Told.
ASHLAND, Ore., Dec. 29. – Advices were received here last evening from Klamath Falls, Ore., of a most horrible and fatal accident at Silver Lake, Lake county, Oregan, [sic], caused by the overturning of a lamp at a gathering on Christmas Eve, in which over forty lives were lost and sixteen persons badly injured, five of whom will probably die. The gathering had assembled in the hall above Christman (sh/be Crisman) Bros.' store, and consisted of children who, with their parents and relatives, were having a grand time and enjoying what Santa Claus had brought them, little dreaming that many of them would never leave the building alive. Some one attempted to get where he could see and hear better by jumping upon a bench in the middle of the hall. In doing so his head struck a lamp hanging from the ceiling causing the oil to run out, which immediately caught fire. While trying to take the lamp down it was tipped so that the oil ran out on the floor. From that time on, the scene was terrible.
The lamp was finally taken down, but it fell to the floor. In the attempt to get it outside, it was kicked to the door, where it lay as it could not be touched on account of the intense heat. People were compelled to rush through the flames in order to reach the door and many perished in the attempt.
The killed are:
MRS. JOHN BUICK, FREDDIE AND BABY.
MRS. OWSLEY.
LILLIAN BRUCE
J. J. BUCK AND DAUGHTER
MRS. SNELLING.
MRS. HOWARD AND TWO CHILDREN.
WOOD HEARST AND WIFE
MRS. COSHOW.
FRANK WEST, WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN.
ED ROWEN.
MISS MCCAULEY.
T. J. LAMBRIES AND CHILD
MRS. WARD
MRS. U. F. ABASHER. [Juda Joanna (Harlow) Abshier]
FRANKIE HORNING
MRS. PAYNE
MRS. NETTIE WILLIAMS AND CHILD
W. CLAY MARTIN AND WIFE
ROBERT SMALL [Robert James Small]
MRS. ELLA WARD AND CHILD
FRANK ROSS, MOTHER AND SISTER
ROY WARD'S CHILD
IRA HAMILTON
MRS. GUS SHROEDER AND CHILD [Lucinda (Comegys) Schroder and Eston Schroder]
The five injured like to die are: Mrs. T. J. Labrie, Bob Snelling and sister, Ed Payne and son.
The building, a two-story structure, including the post office and the entire stock of goods of Christman Bros., were consumed. Further particulars could not be learned last night. Silver Lake is over a hundred miles from Klamath Falls and the stage brought the news to this place.~~~~~~
On December 24, 1894, a large gathering of Lake County families were assembled together to enjoy a Christmas Eve children's pageant in Silver Lake. The play was being held in an upstairs dance hall located above a local merchant's storerooms. Men and women in the community and the students of Paul J. Brattain had prepared plays, recitations, songs, and special numbers on the organ, fiddle, and harmonica.
[The younger brother of Celeste (Brattain) Small, Paul Jacob Brattain (1870-1954) was the teacher. Both Celeste Small and Paul Brattain were grandchildren of Rev. Jacob Gillespie, the eldest and youngest, respectively, children of his daughter, Permelia (Gillespie) Brattain and Lake County Sheriff, Thomas Jefferson Brattain.]
The young great-grandson of Rev. Jacob Gillespie, Robert James Small was in attendance at this event. Presumably, his parents, James M. and Celeste (Brattain) Small and his 13-year-old sister, Permelia Belle Small were also there with Robert.
Rev. Jacob Gillespie's daughter-in-law, Damaris Tandy (Benson) Gillespie's first cousin, Juda (Harlow) Abshier was also at the celebration. [Juda Joanna (Harlow) Abshier was the daughter of Damaris' mother's sister. Damaris's mother, Sarah Scott (Tandy) Benson-McClure's sister was Frances Burris (Tandy) Harlow, who was married to Mahlon Hall Harlow.] Presumably, Juda (Harlow) Abshier's husband, Uriah Abshier and 5-year-old son, Joel Harlow Abshier were in attendance at the Christmas Eve pageant.
Also attending were Augustus "Gus" Schroder and his wife, Lucinda (Comegys) Schroder, who took their small son, Eston, and Lucinda's mother to the Christmas program in the frontier town. Lucinda's mother, Sarilda (Duncan) Comegys, was visiting from Harney County.
The Brattain and Small families were were distant cousins-by-marriage to the Shroder family.
The festivities were held in Clayton Hall, which was located on the upper floor of a two-story wooden frame building and measured 24 feet wide by 50 feet long. It was accessible by an outside stairway and a door which opened inward from the landing at the rear of the building. The second story room served the community for meetings and special functions. The lower floor was occupied by the Chrisman store. A false front faced south. A Christmas tree, garlanded with ropes of paper and popcorn, stood in a corner of the room near the stage.
The program was nearly over when George Payne rose from his seat and began walking across the benches. No one ever knew what his intentions were. His head hit one of the hanging Rochester lamps, sloshing coal oil into the burner and causing the flame to flare up. Francis Chrisman jumped up, removed the lamp from its hanger, and started toward the door with it. Gus Schroder suggested wrapping his coat around the lamp to smother the flames, but before he could do it, the lamp was knocked from Chrisman's hands to the floor. The burning oil spread and the flames quickly engulfed the hall, which was packed with many Lake County area families celebrating the holiday pageant. A panic ensued and by the time it was all over, many of the play participants and pageant-goers had been trapped and burned to death.
Mrs. Schroder rushed her mother to the door and shoved her through onto the landing and the stairs. The crush of people carried Mrs. Comegys to the ground before she could look back for her daughter. She saw Lucinda in the doorway, forcibly holding the door open so that fear-crazed people could not close it and shut off escape.
Mrs. Schroder died at her self-appointed post, while others got out to safety, and somewhere in the building her two-year-old son perished in the flames. Gus Schroder was caught in the earliest rush and forced down the stairs to the ground. Attempts to return to the hall to look for his wife and son were futile. Four years after he lost his wife and first child, Gus Schroder remarried and had five more children.
Juda (Harlow) Abshier's husband and son survived but she was a victim of the Christmas Eve tragedy. Her husband never remarried. Joel Harlow Abshier was laregly raised by his maternal grandmother, Frances Burris (Tandy) Harlow.
Robert James Small also died that night but his parents and older sister all survived. Seven years after her son Robert died, Celeste (Brattain) Small gave birth to her third and last child, Ross Monroe Small.
This was the worst fire in Oregon history. The little town in central Lake County had met with nationally reported tragedy. The dance hall exit door, opening inward, rather than outward, was blamed for the many lives lost. A physician, Dr. Bernard Daly, earned an unwanted measure of wide fame after he drove his buggy from Lakeview through snow nearly one-hundred miles in twenty-four hours to tend to the burned and injured victims of the ghastly Silver Lake fire.
A total of 43 men, women and children, including young Robert James Small, toddler Eston Schroder and 6 other children had all lost their lives.
Later it was remembered that so terrible was the catastrophe that the whole country was dazed at the appalling loss of life and property, and scores of homes were draped in mourning for loved ones. All of the bones that could be located in the rubble were eventually placed in one mass grave and buried at Silver Lake Cemetery. There is a large stone marker at its site. ~~~~~~
Silver Lake, Oregon Fire
December 24, 1894
40 ARE DEAD!
Horrible Holocaust at a Holiday Fete in Oregon.
OVERTURNED LAMP
Sets Fire to the Hall and Escape is Cut Off.
OTHERS WILL DIE.
The Story of the Sad Disaster is Most Graphically Told.
ASHLAND, Ore., Dec. 29. – Advices were received here last evening from Klamath Falls, Ore., of a most horrible and fatal accident at Silver Lake, Lake county, Oregan, [sic], caused by the overturning of a lamp at a gathering on Christmas Eve, in which over forty lives were lost and sixteen persons badly injured, five of whom will probably die. The gathering had assembled in the hall above Christman (sh/be Crisman) Bros.' store, and consisted of children who, with their parents and relatives, were having a grand time and enjoying what Santa Claus had brought them, little dreaming that many of them would never leave the building alive. Some one attempted to get where he could see and hear better by jumping upon a bench in the middle of the hall. In doing so his head struck a lamp hanging from the ceiling causing the oil to run out, which immediately caught fire. While trying to take the lamp down it was tipped so that the oil ran out on the floor. From that time on, the scene was terrible.
The lamp was finally taken down, but it fell to the floor. In the attempt to get it outside, it was kicked to the door, where it lay as it could not be touched on account of the intense heat. People were compelled to rush through the flames in order to reach the door and many perished in the attempt.
The killed are:
MRS. JOHN BUICK, FREDDIE AND BABY.
MRS. OWSLEY.
LILLIAN BRUCE
J. J. BUCK AND DAUGHTER
MRS. SNELLING.
MRS. HOWARD AND TWO CHILDREN.
WOOD HEARST AND WIFE
MRS. COSHOW.
FRANK WEST, WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN.
ED ROWEN.
MISS MCCAULEY.
T. J. LAMBRIES AND CHILD
MRS. WARD
MRS. U. F. ABASHER. [Juda Joanna (Harlow) Abshier]
FRANKIE HORNING
MRS. PAYNE
MRS. NETTIE WILLIAMS AND CHILD
W. CLAY MARTIN AND WIFE
ROBERT SMALL [Robert James Small]
MRS. ELLA WARD AND CHILD
FRANK ROSS, MOTHER AND SISTER
ROY WARD'S CHILD
IRA HAMILTON
MRS. GUS SHROEDER AND CHILD [Lucinda (Comegys) Schroder and Eston Schroder]
The five injured like to die are: Mrs. T. J. Labrie, Bob Snelling and sister, Ed Payne and son.
The building, a two-story structure, including the post office and the entire stock of goods of Christman Bros., were consumed. Further particulars could not be learned last night. Silver Lake is over a hundred miles from Klamath Falls and the stage brought the news to this place.~~~~~~
Bio by: KarenK.
Inscription
Aged 43 Yrs. 5 Mos. & 22 Das.
Gravesite Details
Erected by relatives and friends to the memory of those who lost their lives in the fire at Silver Lake OR on December 24, 1894
Family Members
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