Salt Lake Herald | 1890-10-19 | Page 5 | Horrible Accident

IIORRIBLE ACCIDENT Two Children Fatally Burned Yesterday Afternoon A COAL OIL EXPLOSION THE CAUSE Dr Richards Says the Victims Cannot Live ilr and 31rs HIrschler the Parents Prostrated Ono of the most frightful accidents that has ever taken place here occurred yesterday yester-day afternoon Mr and Mrs Hirschler who reside at the corner of I and Seventh streets left homo yesterday afternoon and locked their two children a girl aged eight and a boy about three in the house At about 5 oclock the girl undertook to kindle kin-dle a fire and to expedite matters resorted to the coal oil can The result that has too often followed the practice followed in this case The flames were communicated to the oil in the can and an explosion followed fol-lowed In an instant the girls clothing was on fire and she escaped into the street a mass of flames J F Thomas who resides re-sides near by heard her cries and rushed to her assistance When ho reached her the skin was fairly peeling from her body and she presented a horrible spectacle Mr Thomas threw some blankets about her and extinguished the flames and immediately immedi-ately started for town in a wagon to give the alarm and summon a doctor Tho crowd which gathered were ignorant of the fact that the baby was in the house and the attention of Miss Thomas and Mrs Burt was first attracted to him by seeing the poor little fellow running around the room and tapping at the windows The ladies named at once rushed to the place broke in the window and got the littlo sufferer suf-ferer out It was found that he was burned even more severely than his sister and the sufferings of the two were beyond description Dr Richards was soon on hand and dressed their wounds and administered morphine The scene was a sad one so sad that even the physician physi-cian accustomed as he is witnessing suffering suf-fering was overcome by it The physician said that the injuries of both were fatal and he thought the boy would die witain twentyfour hous while the girl might live fortyeight hours The unfortunate children were removed to the hospital where everything possible was done for them In the meantime the fire department arrived and the flames were extinguished the loss amounting to about one hundred dollars It was a sad homecoming to Mr and Mrs Hirschler and both are said to be prostrated with grief over the sad affair Mr Thomas was burned somewhat about the hands and Mrs Hurts arms were cut in her efforts to get the boy out of the window win-dow