Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-02-06
HORRIBLE ACCIDENT.
A Little Girl Burned 10 Death, aud
Her Parents Seriously.
Chicago Tribune Jan. "a

IhlchRO iIIUuuc JhL' -.
Last evening there was in one of the
wards at the County Hospital scene
TO make the stout heart quail, the cheek
grow pale, and the eye dim. In one oil
the male wards lay manly form
with the arms and hands covered with
a muf OF lint, and the head almost
completely concealed in hood and
mask OF lint, saturated with oil and
lime water, with which the surrounding
bedding was stained. The eyes now
and then peeped out from the scorched
and swollen eyelids, which were visible
through small apertures in the max,
and, through a larger opening, the
blackened nostrils, the hlistered and
parboiled lips, and small tuft OF
singed beard. II was plainly to be seen
that the patient was suffering tortures
beyond description. But moment
later, when an attendant entered and
spoke n few kind words TO him, the
heart of a father overcame the intense
pain, and the singing burns gave way
to n grief-stricken heart. His only child
had just died in the female ward above.
The little one was burned beyond all
power to save, and the mother, herself
suffering from horrid burns, breathed
easier when she knew the little one was
out Of pain. Despite his condition, the
father could not longer be kept from
his loved ones, and, arising, he stagger-
ed out Of the ward and upstairs to gaze
upon his dead child, ant to console the
mother in some slight degree. About
the cot, from which the body of the
child was taken to rake room for the
father, heart-broken group was gather.
ed. The wife, scorched until the wal err
blisters on her face and ears stuck out
like great drops OF dew, and her arms
swathed in lint. She protested that her
burns did not hurt u bit, and at the
same time was ready to faint with ex.
haustion and wo. At each writing
movement Of her husband gasp es-
capped her, and she wrung her hands in
agonized frenzy, Some relatives, friends,
and neighhors who had called to con-
sole the afflicted pair were shedding
tears copiously, ms were also a number
of the inmates of the ward.
All this the result of an accident
which occurred at about 1898 yesterday
afternoon in the house of Charles
Woodward, q painter occupying the
rear half Of the third story Of a build
ing mt No. G28 West Lake street. Mr..
Woodward had got the job of painting a
house on Michigan avenue, and pre-
paratory therto was mixed Il size for
wallis OF the house. There was brisk
fire in the kitchen, and in the rear OF
this was small shed filled with paints
and oils. While Mrs. Woodward was
washing the dinner dishes, he engaged
In preparing the size, and was boiling an
pot pot full of resin and other ingredients,
when suddenly it caught. He made
mi effort to throw the flaming mass out
Of window, but was so horribly burnt
about the face, hands, ard arms that
no was compete to drop ii. He called
out to his wife, and then, running into
mn adjoining apartment, he seized his
little daughter Mt her play, hoping to
rescue her from the flames. But, dazed,
blinded, and disabled, he fell three
times to the floor, and both he and the
little one would have persisted then and
there but for the timely aid given by
one Richard Westlake. A fourth in
mate; of the house. Mrs. Stesdman,
sister to Mrs. Woodward, was slightly
burned, but was able to go home unat-
tended. Mattresses were hastily pro-
cured, and Mr.. and Mrs. Woodward
and child were conveyed to the hospital
The child, though only 2 years and s
months old, hung onto life tenaciously,
and death did not relieve her agony I'M
I'll shortly after s o'clock last evening.
The hospital physicians fear that
Woodward inhaled the flame, and that
his case will prove very serious one.