North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-01-01
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Spont nneOus Combustion.

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Spont nneous Combustion.
Instances of spontaneous combustion
instances in which people accustomed to
drink spirits copiously, have taken fire in
ternally and burnt to death--are not rare,
| but very few OF them are reliable. Here
are three cases that seem to be entitled to
some confidence, and they are therefore
! extraordinary
The Countess Cornelia Bandini, of the
! town of Cosena in Italy, enjoyed toler-
ably good state of health, although she had
reached the age of sixty-two, notwithstan-
ding her ADDICTION to ardent spirits and
strong wines. Having one evening cxpe-
rlenced a sort of drowsness, she retired to
| bed at an earlier hour than usual and her
maid remained with her until she fell fast
asleep. On the following morning, when
! the girl repaired to her mistress bedroom
she found nothing but the remains of the
| Countess body in IL most hOrrid condition.
| AT the distance of four feet from the he'd
was heap of ashes, in which could be
distinguished the legs and arms untouch-
ed. Between the legs lay the head, the
| brains Of which, together with half the
| posterior part of the cranium remained !;
but the whole of the chin had been con-
| sumed. Two fingers had been found in
state Of a coal. and the body itself was
reduced to ashes. These ashes, when
touched left on the fingers a fatty and tetid
moisture A small lamp, which stood on
the floor, was covered with ashes. and had
no oil in it. The tallow Of two candles
was melted on table, but the wicks re-
| nj +1n foot Of hn
! dlesticks were covered with a certain mois.
| ture. The bed was not damaged. The
| bCd-cothes and covcrlids were raised on
one side, as if person had just got up
! from the bed. The furniture and tapestry
were covered with a moist SCOT, the color
! of ashes. which had penetrated the draw
ers and soiled the linen. This SCOT, hav-
ing been conveyed to neighboring kitch-
en-, adhered to the walls and the utensils
A piece of bread in the cupboard was COW
{ cred with it, and no dog would touch it.
The same infectious odor had been COM
municated to other apartments.
Grace Pitt, the wife of fshmonger at
! Ipswich, aged about sixty, had contracted
habit, which she continued for several
years. of going down stairs in the middle
oil the night, half dressed, and smoking a
pipe. She was, moreover, accustomed to
partake largely Of ardent spirits previous
ly to retiring. One night she got up from
her bed and went down stairs as usual
Her daughter, who slept with her, did not
perceive that she was absent until the next
m rning when she awoke. The young wo-
man rose and dressed herself. and then
proceeded to the kitchen, where she found
her mother stretched on the right side,
with her head near the CRATE, the body ex-
tended upon the hearth, and the legs upon
the floor. This floor was made of wood,
and had the appearance of being burnt
without any apparent flame. On behold
ing this hideons spectacle, the girl ran in
great haste to fetch come water, a large
quantity of which she poured over her
mother, to extinguish the fire which was
still burning in the region of the left boz
som but the dreadful fetid odor that was
exhased from the corpse almost suifocated
the ncighbors who repaired to the daugh-
ter's assistance. The trunk was in some
measure incinorated, and reSembled heap
of Goals covered with white ashes. The
head. the legs, the arms. and the thighs
had also participated in the burning. The
unhappy victim had drank an extraordina-
ry quantity of spirits on the preceding
day. in consequence of having received IT,
dings that another of her daughters had
Just returned from Gibraltar. There was
no fire in the CRATE and the candle was
found entirely burnt out in the socket OF
the candlestck. which was close by her
Near the body, there were also child Is
clothes and paper screen. which had not
sustained the slightest injury by iire-al-
though placed within the scope OF its fury
had Ii been natural flame.
In the month of February, l1T9, Marie
Jaufiret. widow of Nicholas Gravier, shoe
maker, who resided at AK, in Provence,
France, was burnt to death in her apart
mcnt. She had long been addicted to tn,
vice of intemperance, and her frame was
exceedingly bloated and unhealthy when
her terrible end took place by means OF
spontaneous combustion. Messieurs Mau.
raire and Rocas, two eminent surgeons OF
: the vicinity, were commissioned 10y the To-
, cal authorities to make a report of the
| state of the body. They found only a mass
: of ashes and few bones, calcined in such
Il manner. that ut the least pressure they
! crumbled into dust The bones of the era
mum, one hand, and a foot had in some
: measure resisted the action of the fire
Near the remains stood table untouched
and under the table a small stove, the graf
ing Of which having been long burnt, af
forded an aperture through which it is pro
| habie that the fire had been communicated
! One chair which stood near the flames had
the seat and fore feet burnt. In other re
spects, there was no appearance of fire eli
ther in the chimney or the apartment st
that, except the fore part of the chair, i
appeared to the medical gentlemen that M
other combustible matter contributed tt
) this speedy incarceration, which was effect
ed in the space Of seven or eight hours.
The Episcopal Church will hold its regular service
hereafter the Baptist Church every Sabbath ZEN
ing at o'clock. II. G. HAMPTON DUDLEY
: McGregor Nov. 20. Rector