Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-08-28
AN AGoNIzlNs DNAqn.
An Unfortunate chestnut street
Woman Lights Fire with Coal
AiI and Snfa ENIra tn lHnrsnlc.

Mrs. Maurice Flynn, who lives at Nc.
1913 Chestnut street, was terribly burned
early Thursday morning while trying 10
start the ire in her kitchen stove with
coal oil.
Mrs. Flynn, whose husband is g
morocco dresser, arose about o'cloca
Thursday 10 prepare breakfast. Tie
fire in the cooking stove was out and there
being no dry kindling wood at hand the
woman hastily picked up some piooas Of
stove wood and putting them in the
stove poured on quantity of oil from
large can. She set the can qnite halt
flied with oil on the top OF the
stove snd applied q match TO
the oil saturated wood. Instantly the
wood ignited and burned iuriously, come
OF the flames pouring through the cracks
about the stove lids on top. A tongue Of
FIRE swept over the top of the stove and
reached the oil can. instantly there was
a slight explosion and the eau burst,
sending its contents, now burning, over
the stove, floor and upon the skirts Of Mrs.
Flypn's clothing. The woman was lightly
clad, and in an instant after the burning
oil reached her clothing she was en-
veloped in mass OF flames. She cried
and shrieked piteously for assistance,
and in her frenzied excitement ran into
the lot at the back Of her house. The
wind famed the flames into increased
fury, aud they lesped as high as her
head. The neighborhood was thoroughly
alarmed at the woman's plAintive calls for
help, and a number Of people residing
near leaped out OF bed and ran to her
assistance. The burning clothing was
caught up and torn from the sufft ring
woman, but not until the flames had
done terrible work. They were, how
ever, extinguished, and physician cum
moned to dress the woman's injuries.
The story Of her eutferiDgs and the
extent of her burns as told 9 GAZETTE
AND JOURNAL representative by DR..
West, are in full by far too horrible and
sickeninR to publish in detail. He says
there was mot piece of flesh as large as
q silver dollar from the ends of her toes
to her chest that was not burned to
crisp.
Mrs. Flynn, he said, was very patient
sufferer, and from the time Of the acoi-
dent until Friday night she was conscious
and suffered the most agonizing pain. A
great deal Of suffering Was added to her
IOk Wuon Oh FTluhy muEHlnR bho potAno
confined and was delivered Of child
which was in an advanced state Of de-
composition. The right side of her
breast and the whole OF her right arm
was badly burned and the left arm from
the shoulder to the elbow.
Tee doctor said the cRse was the most
horrible one ever brought to his notice
and there must have been over pound
of flesh hanging in shreds from her limbs.
The skin was also peeled off her arms and
abdomen and, II any Of the burned parts
were touched the flesh would peel oft in
large layers. "Her husband, poor fellow,
was perfectly wild with grief" said the
doctor. "He was temporarily insane"
Mrs. Flynn had not been married quite
year, and was young and comely
woman not more than "a years old.
Since she was burned 1t has come to light
that in her neighborhc0d there are not
less than 90 families who every morning
are In the habit Of lighting their fires
with coal oil. Only the other morning
one young woman applied fire to some
wood in stove and then deliberately
took a large lamp from table and
poured Its contents on the flames.