Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-08-17
NEW SERIES--V0 II, NO. 5


places, which would, in all probabili-
ty, have only prolonged its sufferings
for a few hours.
Mrs. Ann Shorter, Of Philadelphia,
aged 45 years, was filling the lamp
close by tho gas light when it explod
ed, throwing the blazing oil over her,
burning her severely in tho hands,
head and body. Her clothing was
entirely destroyed, and her injuries
are Of serious nature
Mrs. Dunn, of Galesburg, ILL.,, while
trying TO light her fire with kerosene
oil, was so badly burned that she cx.
pircd the same evening.
A coal oil lamp exploded few days
ago, in Portsmouth, Va and besides
severely burning several persons and
destroying several thousand dollars
worth Of property, TO interesting lit
tie boys, aged, respectively, eleven
and thirteen, children of Mr.. Harvey
Barnes, perished in the flames before
they could be rescued. As soon as
the premises we're sufficiently cooled,
the iiremen went in among the ruins,
and brought out the charred and
shapeless remains OF the two children,
which were sewed up in clothes and
their bodies handed over to the aiflict-
ed friends for interment.
In Cincinnati, Miss Bickford tried
TO light a fire with coal oil An ex-
plosion was The result She was al.
most instantly enveloped 10 flames,
and rushed into the street and fell into
the gutter, but was fatally burned be.
fore any assistance could be rendered.
Death ensued in about an hour.
AT Nclsonville, Ohio, a girl aged
fifteen attempted to light fire IN a
stove by pouring coal oil upon the
kindlings. The can of oil exploded
and the girl was enveloped in flames
from head to foot. After lingering il
great agony for several hours she wa:
released from her sufferings by death
Mrs James Tyark, residing in
Reading, Pa, used coal oil from q
lamp to kindle a fire. The lamp ex
ploded, with report that startled the
neighborhood, and the flames rushed
out of tho low chimney to a great
height, completely killing the foliage
on one side Of a tree near by For
tunately Mrs. Tyark was not injured
and no serious damage resulted from
the fire.
Now which Of the foregoing disas
ters can be justly regarded as an nc
cident? In every case mentioned
the parties were either attempting I,
| OIL coal oil lamps while lighted, or {,
kindle fires with coal oil-acts whicl
none but criminals or idiots woul,
think Of doing, as an explosion mus
result almost as certainly rs il sparl
were applied to powder magazine
Every one of the above disaster
might have been prevented had tn,
principals in each case exercised a
much Judgment as a ten year old chill,
ordinarily possesses.
Perhaps one reason why people viii
persist in recklessly endangering thoi
own and neighbors' lives by carelcssly
handling Kerosene is the fact that tn
manufacturers of the various kind
of lamp fluids, confidently assure th,
public that their particular style O
lamp or theirsupcrior brand Of illumi
mated oil i0W not erpi0de. There i
not TO day in the country a kerosen
lamp but contains within it fire fient
ready at any moment to burst fortl
and envelope its votaries in flames o
torment Let those who must us
the villainous compound exercise tn
greatest possible care in doing so.-
Handle il as carefully as you woul,
nitroglyceiine Never for momen
think Of filling lamp that is lit, o
in the vicinity Of fire, or a match
or even gas light; and least Of al
never think Of kindling fire with j
unless you are ready TO experience
forotaste Of perdition, to be specdil,
followed by a realization Of perditol
itself.-ErchdRge.