Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-01-30
RESULTS OF A LAMP
EXPLOSION.

Five Persons Involved i'm the Flames
Death of the Father and Eldest
| Daughter The Mother and Babe Sc
vereIy Burned.
KEROSENE and gasoline have long enjoyed
the doubtful distinction of being the cause Of
great majority Of the household casualties
of the day. Scarcely paper can be taken
mp that does not bristle with exclamation
points, and tire the eye with black letter
headings, announcing the burning Of this or
that person who was engaged in the apparent
| ly innocent labor of filing a burning lamp
with liquid death and destruction, sold under
harmless sounding names-as non-explosive
kerosene, Triumph oil, etc., etc. This time
the product ozoline comes to the front and
deals death and sorrow around in such liberal
measure that the destroying angel who is sup
posed to oversee such matters ought TO be
satisfied with its work, and discard every
other agency hereafter.
About five o'clock on the morning of jan
uary 10, James McGinnis of st. Joseph, Mis-
souri,, his wife, his daughter Annie, aged
seventeen, and the baby, arose from their beds
and repaired to the kitchen TO partakc of an
early breakfast. Shortly afterwards Mrs.
McGinnis sent Annie up stairs to bring down
the lamp for reflling The lamp was brought,
and Mrs. McGinnis filled it with ozoline within
one inch of the burner, then lighted the wick
and turned down the chimney, when the lamp
exploded with a loud report, hurting the flames
in every direction about the small room. The
oil can, which contained nearly gallon of
the liquid, was also involved in the explosion
and contributed largely to the devouring ele-
ttasl,f ,1, ,Intn IaI
The bulk of the flames shot like lightning
across the room, and over Annie sitting be-
tween her mother and the bed, aud caught the
bed in which lay the little baby Florence. I'm
mediately Mr.. McGinns seized his wife and
babe and threw them out of the window. BY
this time Annie was in a sheet of flame and
her father very badly burned from head to
foot.
Joseph, one of the sons, was up stairs at
the time; but hearing the report, rushed be-
low, ard in his efforts to do something was
very severely burned on both hands, and his
hair was singed. The other children rushed
out of doors screaming "murderl murderl
fire! irer
The neighbors were aroused by the wild
cries of terror, and forthwith went to the
house to witness a scene which battles descrip-
ton. The room was ablaze. The mother and
babe were struggling with the flames which
enyeloped them, upon the frozen ground.
The brave father, suffering intensely, was
found sitting upon the porch in delrium,
his every footstep from the scene of the terri
bic accident being marked with blood. The
eldest daughter, Annie, had crawled out of
the caldron of flame, and was endeavoring to
climb the stairway.
Annie was burned to crisp from head to
foot, and after a most agonizing struggle
death relieved her of her sufferings. james
McGinnis, the father, was severely burned all
over his body, and died a little after noon.
Mrs. McGinnis and baby Florence were taken
to the residence of neighbor. She was very
severely burned on the face, neck and both
hands and arms; and the baby ON the face,
both arms and lower limbs. The Herald, Of
the 10th, says that at last accounts, it was
thought that the mother and son only would
recover.