Tragic Fire

High School Principal, Two Children Burned to Death Saturday
Fire of Unknown Origin; Frank Lyons Carries Townsends from Blazing House: Roberts Schools Closed
By Maryjo Lankston

Roberts, Feb. 21 --(RNS)-- One of the grimmest tragedies ever to strike in Ford County occurred here Saturday noon as Roberts high school principal, Loren F. Townsend, 31, and his two small sons, Stephen and Roger, died from burns suffered in a fire which destroyed their home.
All were rushed to the Paxton Community hospital but the severe burns took their toll; Stephen,6, dying at 7:30 p.m., Mr. Townsend, popular school administrator, at 11 p.m.; and little Roger, 3, at 12:15 p.m. The heartbroken wife and mother was downtown shopping at the time the disaster occurred.
Frank Lyons, 63, neighbor to the Townsends, first saw the fire and made two trips into the burning house on his hands and knees to save the three victims.
Mr. Lyons told the story in his own words; "I saw the flames coming out of an upstairs window about 12:45. I shouted "Fire" and ran over. Mr. Townsend had crawled to the door with Roger in his arms. I pulled them out and said, "Where's the other one?" He said, "In there," and tried to go back in.
I pulled him back and crawled in and grabbed little Stephen, who was burned badly on his face and arms. Just before Mr. Townsend passed out, I asked him how it started, and he said, "Frank, I don't know."
Laud Lyons' Deed
As friends lauded Mr. Lyons for his heroic deed the janitor at the high school insisted that anyone would've done what he did, "as their duty."
The three were taken into the homes of the neighbors until the ambulance arrived. Mr. Lyons received burns on his neck and face, for which he received medical treatments.
The fire was so intense that firemen were hardly able to get close enough to the adjoining houses to save them. Wet blankets were held up to separate them from the intense heat. They saved the two adjoining houses by spraying them with water repeatedly.
Fire departments from Melvin, Thawville, Paxton, Gibson City, Onarga and Piper City arrived to help Roberts firemen but the fire was well under control by the time the last three arrived. The town's water tank was twice drained of its supply, and firemen had to wait until more water was pumped in.
No accurate estimate of the loss was available. The Townsend house was valued at $5,000.
Mrs. Arthur Seng, neighbor to the east of the Townsend home, first called in an alarm at 12:55. Mrs. Townsend was uptown shopping when she first heard of the disaster.
No Explosion
The nine-room frame house was completely destroyed by flames that could be seen six miles away. The interior walls were of wallboarding, which made it so readily inflammable. It was believed that the fire must have started in the walls, because it was so long before it was discovered.
A rumor was circulated that an explosion must have caused it, but there was no evidence to support this theory. The house was heated by a coal-burning furnace, and an electric stove was used for cooking.
When the east wall of the home crashed, it buckled in the middle fortunately, otherwise the sheet of flames would have struck the Seng property which already was smoking and scorched from the intense heat.
Only a vacant lot between the burning home, which blazed like a tinder box, and the Lyons property saved the house for the wind was from the east.
A huge crowd quickly gathered as firemen concentrated on keeping the fire from spreading. An added difficulty was the absence of near fireplugs. Nearest plug was two blocks distant.
Formerly of Thawville
Stephen Townsend was born April 19, 1941, in Morris. His mother was the former Ava Hollingsworth of Thawville. The boys' paternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. George Townsend, Thawville.
Townsend, youngest man ever to head the local high school, succeeded E. C. Nichols as principal last summer. A native of Thawville, he held a master's degree from the University of Illinois and was a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan university, Bloomington.
Before coming to Roberts, Townsend was a civilian instructor and supervisor at Chanute Air Force Base for five and one-half years and previously taught mathematics at Morris high school.
Henry Hanson, Ford county coroner, said that inquests on the deaths are scheduled for 7:30 this evening, at Roberts: Jurymen are Thomas Trigger, foreman; A. D. Seng, John Minch, Muryl Sturm, Chet Wright, and Francis Russell.

--Paxton Record. 26 February 1948.

Art Seng lived in the large white two story home where the Trees family lived in the 60-70's. So this home would have been just to the east.