The Portsmouth Times, April 1, 1930

A cat, the household pet of the Cleveland Coriell family in Minford, saved the entire family from being burned to death Tuesday morning when fire which is thought to have started from an overheated flue completed destroyed the house and its contents.

The damage which is estimated at $8,000 is partially covered by insurance.  Firemen from New Boston, who were summoned saved the A. Bowman house and the Minford Methodist Church which were menaced by the flames.

According to Coriell he awakened about 4 a.m. Tuesday and built a fire in his stove in the kitchen.  He went back to bed and had been asleep about 30 minutes when he was awakened by the family cat which was on his bed scratching and mewoing in a loud voice.

Coriell discovered the flames and awakened his wife and three small children, Lawrence, Louise and Bobby.

The flames spread throughout the four room structure.  They made each a rapid headway, none of the furniture was saved.  Members of the family grabbed all available clothing as they humbly left their home.  The intense heat started a small blaze on the roof of the Bowman house which adjoined the burning building.  An alarm was sent into the New Boston company which upon arrival kept a stead stream of water on the Methodist Church and Bowman house.  The Bowman home was badly blistered and two windows were shattered.

For a while apprehension was felt that the flames would get out of the control of the firemen, but luckily this did not happen and what looked like a disasterous fire was held to a comparatively small loss.