Daily Republican., 1880-03-24
SECOND EDITION.
ANAWFUL ACCIDENT.

lander ana NE WHO EEhkuAuAhy
Burned by q Lamp Explosion
East Night-Two People Literally
Roasted Alive.
John Sauerlander and his wife were
ascending to their bed chamber in theiI
residence, at No. 5l3 French street,
shortly before II O'Clock last night
when the lamp, which the wife carried,
suddenly exploded. Mrs. Sauerlandel
had preceded her husband, who fol
lowed carrying their little daughter,
child about five years old. The wifi
had nearly reached the top of the
stairs and he was only step or two
behind her. TIE explosion threw the
burning oil in all directions, and seat
tered the fragments Of glass over the
room. The faces of both Mr.. aud Mrs.
Sauerlandsr were lacerated badly by
the glass.
In an instant the clothing of hus-
band and wife was in flames and the
contents of the room on fire. As soon
as the former realized the great dan.
ger he caught the child and threw ii
on the bed in order that it might ea-
cape burning, the mother, however,
terrified beyond reason, and not know
ing what she did, caught up the child
and rushed wildly from the room, in
tent only on saving the little ones life.
She ran down the stairs, burning and
bleeding, and grouped through the
darkness to the side door. She opened
this an Rundown the allsJ-way to the
street and up the street to the house Of
Mr.. Samuel Barker, q few doors above.
Then she placed the child on, the
steps, knocked wildly at the door, and
started to return to her husband. But
the terrible pain of her wounds had
overcome her, and she sank down on
the pavement, exhausted, before she
had gone many steps. The neighbors
were reused by this time, and assis-
tancs began to arrive. The first on the
scene were Messrs. Samuel Barker,
Joseph Brady and Edward Lynch. Run
ming down French street 10 the house,
they found Mrs. sauerlander lying face
downward on the pavement in an un-
conscious condition. They picked her
up and carried her into the house.
Then they left her and hurried up
stairs. The room in which the accident
occurred was filled with smoke and
flames, and the FIRE had extended into
the adjoining apartment. The bed was
in blaze and the carpet was on fire.
Sauerlander was found terribly burned,
but his clothing was not on fire. The
walls Of the room were spattered with
blood and go were tue sides of the
stair case leading to the room below.
This blood came from Mrs. Sauerlander's
wounds as she ran from the place with
the child. Fragments of the lamp lay
about the room.
Sauerlander and his wife were taken
into the middle room on the first floor
and cared for. Beds on the floor were
hastily improvised, and medical aid
summoned. DR.. Blocksom was the first
physician to reach the place. Imme-
diately after this Doctors Kirchner,
Bush and Springer were summoned.
These doctors, assisted by many kind
and willing hands, did all within their
power to alleviate the sutferings of the
unfortunate people.
OF the two, the mans injuries were
the more serious. He was burned on
the face, head, arms and hands; his
BODY was burned as far down as the
waist, and the injury here was Of a
terrible nature, the flesh on the back
being charred. He was also cat oon-
siderably about the face by the glass.
His whiskers and ha'r wele burned
off and the scalp burned to a crisp.
Mrs. Sauerlander was found to be
wounded on the left side OF the head
and face, the left arm and left breast.
Her wound in the face bled profuse!y
and her appearance was sickeRing in
the extreme. Her hair was burned off
and her hands we're blistered.
A terrible night was passed by the
sufferers. Mrs. Sauerlander appeared
to suffer much and kept up constant
eroaning. Her husband bore his Terri
BILE pain with wonderful fortitude and
complained very little. Toward morn
irg he did not appear to feel much
pain. This is regarded by the physi-
clans as an unfavorable symptom. At 3
O'Clock this morning the physicians
had hopes Of the recovery Of the suffer-
ers, aud think they will get well if
they have inhaled none of the flame,
The fire was extinguishe1 by Messrs.
Barker, Brady and Lynch before the fire
alarm was sounded. The Washington
fire company ran out but did not 60 into
service. One thing that is surprising is
that the lild was nos burned, and her
escape is but little short of a miracle.
When the lamp exploded the clothing
of Mr.. and Mrs. Sauerlander was fired
instantly, and the child was being car
ried in the arms of the latter. She is
now remaining at the house of Mr..
Barker. A neigh Dor went to Chester
last night for Mrs. Sauerlander's sister
and Mr.. Sauerlander's brother, Ig-
natius, in Philadelphia has been tele-
grapneu lor'
The oil, which was used in the lamp
was ocean oil, that is sold by A.
D. Vandever on Fourth street The
sil has been condemned by the city oil
inspector as unsafe, and its sale prohib,
tied under penalty. At the time the
oil was condemned Mr.. Vandever de.
clares he ceased selling it for illumina'
ting purposes, and posted up notice
to this effect. DR.. Bush took a tea.cur
full of the oil from lamp last night,
and in order to test it, held alighted
match an inch or two away. Immedi
ately the oil took Are and could not be
extingaishsd.
At II O'Clock to-day both Mr.. and
Mrs. Sausrtander We're sleeping, and
the physicians had ordered that they
be kept very q 'iet. 1t is now though