The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-06-25
AKEROsENE HORROR.
Mrs. E.cn0ru Wiley, Of Wnynes-
burg, Fatally burned.
From the waynesburg Republican, June

l4th,
On Saturday evening last ,about 10
O'Clock, the town was startled by the
cry of fire. The alarm proceeded
from the house of Mr.. Joseph Wiley,
on Greene street, east of Washing
ton. Mr.. p. a. Knox was the first to
respond with bucket of water, and
seeing the parlor abaze he dashed
the contents of the bucket upon the
fire there. A moment after Mr.. +.
w. Downcy arrived, also with a
bucket of waterand diserying an OBJ
ject standing back in the hall envel-
oped in flames, which he supposed to
be a person, he emptied his bucket
upon it, and other assistance coming
Immediately the flames were subdued
and the person discovered to be Mrs.
Lenora Wiley, widow of the late Mil
ton Wiley, deceased, horribly burned
from head to foot. Medical aid was
promptly on hand, in the person of
pretty much all the physicians in
town, and everything was done that
could be devised for the relief of her
suflerings and to save her life, but
without avail, aud she died on the
Sunday morning following, June II,
1881, at $3.50.
The facts of the terrible tragedy
were as follows;
She being a widow with one child,
about three or four years old,was not
keeping house, but lived with her
father-in-law's family Joseph Wiley
and on the evening of catastrophe
was sitting in the parlor in company
with Mr.. Harvey Yoders, to whom,
rumor has it, she was atiianced. They
were sitting facing each other near
one of the windows, with large
globe chimneyed lamp, containing
near quart of oil,occupying small
handicapped stand between the
windows behind her. Some one pass
ing on the pavement tapped on the
window. Not wishing to attract at
tention and be annoyed, Mr. Yoders
arose and lowered the blind, bnt OBJ
serving that it was not entirely down
she arose hurriedly to adjust it, and
in doing SO jostled the stand and
causing the chimney TO fall off and
break. She applied herself to gath
ering up the fragments, when the
lamp began to sputter and burn down
into the interior. Fearing IN explo-
sion, Yoders was about to dash the
lamp out of the window, when she
with great presence of mind, besought
him not to do so, as she could smoth-
er it out, and suiting the action to
the word; placed her apron over the
burner. Instead Of extinguishing
the flame her apron took fire, causing
her to drop the lamp, which either
broke or exploded, and the oil ignit-
ing she was instantly enshrouded in
flames, and her attire being Of cotton
and perhaps saturated with oil, burn.
ed like finder.
Mr.. Yodors did all he could to
save her, but there was nothing in
the room with which to smother the
flames. His hands and arms both,
the left one more severely, were bad
w charred in his frantic effort. He
had thrown off his coat and vainly
endeavorcd to use it in subduing the
fire, but in her agony and fright she
broke away from him and ran out OF
the room through the hall into the
room where Mr.. Wiley was sleeping,
and then back into the hall where
she was found by Frank Downey.
When the fiery apparition made it's
appearance in Mr.. Wiley's room, he
sprang out of bed and snatching NJ
a quilt pursued her, and found hcl
in the hall just as Frank Downey APP
piled his pail of water, and in wrap
ping the quilt around her, she strug-
gled convulsively and passed out the
door and fell on the pavement an ex-
hausted and charred mass, moaning
'slot me die! let me die?"
All her clothing were burned of
her person save her shoes and corset
Even her shoes had to be cut of, as
her feet were burned down into them
Her face was so disfigured that she
was not recognizable, and her eyes Sc
scared that she was totally blind.
She returned to perfect consciousness
and could recognize her intimate &C
quaintanccs by their voice, and re-
lated in an intelligent manner the de
. tails of the woeful accident. The
burthen of her anxiety was for her
orphaned little girl, whom she com
mitted to the guardianship of its
grand parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Wiley,
requesting them to deal kindly with
her.
The maiden name of the deceased
was Houston, born and raised near
Carinichaels. For about ten years
prior to her marriage, she had lived
with the Rev. Francis Downey, on
Muddy Creek. She was at her death
about 30 years of age, and was an in
telligent, healthy, well developed and
handsome woman, with remarkably
modest and agreeable address. She
was also kind and good at heart, and
though not Church member, had
made profession Of change Of
heart years ago, and has since lived
consistent Herewith.