Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-06-06

maid remained with her till she fell asleep.
Next morning, when the girl entered to ava
ken her mistress, she found nothing but the re-
mains of her body in the most horrld condition
At the distance Of four feet from the oed was a
heap Of ashes, in which could be distinguished
the legs and arms untouched between !he
legs lay the head, the brain Of which, toge'her
with half the posterior part oil The craniuh'' an"
the whole chin, had been consumed; three III.
gers were found in the state OF coal; the rest
OF the body was reduced to ashes, which, "he"
touched, left on the fingers fat, fGlid m9is'
ture A small lamp which stood on the hoor
was covered with ashes, and contained no OH,
the tallow of two candles was melted on table,
but the wicks still remained, and the feet OF the
candleslicks were covered with certain mols-
ture. The bed was not damaged; the bed
clothes and coverid were raised up and thrown
on one side, as is the case when a person gets
IN. The furniture and tapestry were covered
with moist kind Of SCOT of the color OF ashes,
which had penetrated into the drawers and dirt
ed tie linen. The SCOT having been conveyed
to neighboring kitchen, adhered to the walls
and the utensils. A piece Of bread in the cup
board was covered with it, and no dog would
touch it, The infectious odour had been COM
muncaled to other apartments. The annual
Register states, that the Countess OF Cessna
was accustomed 10 battle all her body In cam
phoraIed spirit OF wine.
"Mary Clues, aged so, was much addicted 10
| intoxicauon. Her propensity to this vice had
increased after the death Of her husband, which
happened year and half before. For about
year, scarcely day had passed in the course
of which she did no, drink pint Of rum or an
nseed water Her health gradually declined,
and about the beg inning OF February she was
attacked with the jaundice, and confined to her
bed Though she was incapable OF much ac-
| ZION, and hot in condition 10 work, she sui
continued her old habit Of drinking every day,
and smoking pipe of tobacco The bed ~
which she lay stood parallel to the chimney OF
The apartment, and at the distance from II OF
about three feet. On Saturday morning, the
lst of March, she fell on the floor; and her ex-
IRENE weakness having prevented her from
getting up she remained in that stale I'LL some
one entered and put her 10 bed The follow
ing night she wished 10 be left alone. wo-
man Quilted her at half after eleven, and accord
ing to custom, shut the door aud locked H.
She had put on the fire two large pieces OF coal,
and placed light in can1les,ick on chair
at the head Of her bed AT half after hive IN the
morning smoke was seen issuing through the
window, and the door being speedily broke
open, some flames which were in the room
were soon extnguished. Between the bed and
the chimney were found the remains OF the UNI
fortunate Clues; one leg and thigh were en-
tire. but there remained nothing OF the skin,
the muscles, and viscera. The bones OF the
Uranium, the breast, the spine, and the other
exucmities, were entirely calcined, and covered
with whi,ish eff1urcscence. The people were
much surpl ised that the furniture had sustain
ed so little injury. The side oil the bed which
was next TO the chimney had suffered the mos';
| the wuud Of it slightly burnt; but the Tea
| Their bed, the clothes, and covering, were safe
The transactions OF the Royal Society OF Lon
con present also an instance Of human combus-
ton no less extraordinary. Ii was mentioned
al the lime il happened in all the Journals; 1t
was then attested bya great number ofeye wit.
nesses, and became the subject of many learned
| discussions. Three accounts OF this event, oy
different authors all nearly coincide. The fact
is related as follows: "Grace Pitt, the wife OF
fsh-monger of the parish of ST. Clement, lps-
.ich, aged about 60, had contracted habit,
which she continued for several years, OF com
ing down every night from her bedroom, half
dressed, TO smoke pipe. On the night OF the
9th Of April, l744, she got up from bed as usual
I Her daughter, who slept with her, did not per-
ceive she was absent till next morning, when
she aw oke, soon after she put on her clothes,
and going down to the kitchen, found her mo-
Their stretched out on the right side with her
head near The CRATE, the body extended on the
hearth, with the legs on the floor, which was Of
deal, having the appearance of log of wood,
consumed by a fire without apparen, flame
On beholding this spectacle, the girl ran in
great haste, and poured over her mothers bo-
div some water contained in two large vessels
in order 10 ex,inguish the fire, while the foetid
odour and smoke which exhaled from the body
aImos, suffocated some Of the neighbors who
had FASTENED 10 the girls assistance. The
trunk was in some measure incinera;ed, and re-
sembed heap Of Goals covered with white
ashes. The head, :he arms, the legs, and the
thighs, had also participated in the burning.
This woman it is said, had drunk large
quantity of sprituous liquor III consequence
Of being overjoyed to hear that one Of her
daughters had returned from Gibraltar. There
was no fire in the CRATE, and the candle had
burnt entirely out in the socket Of the candle.
stick, which was close to her. Besides, there
were found near the consumed body, the clothes
Of child, and paper screen, which had sus.
tanned no injury by the fire.