Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-08-30

ton. When the car stopped at the corner
of Seventy-eighth street she got off and
was surprised at sort of blistering Sell
satiOn on the soles of both feet, but at
tributed it to the heated pavement. She
had barely stepped on the sidewalk before
some one called to her, you're afirer'
She caught up her skirts behind and
shaking them out saw they We're ablazc
Much frightened she ran down Seventy
eighth street towards home, carrying her
child in her arms. She tried To get into
house where she saw some one ut the Win
dow, but, Us she told the priest, admit
lance was inhumanly refused when her
plight was discovered. Her running and
strong current OF air through the street
famed the fire into Il blaze which COM
plctcly enveloped her. There were quite
a number of people passing ut the time, and
others were attracted by the cries that
A WOMAN WAS BURNED Up.
One of her sex leaped through basement
window and caught up 4 dOormat, with
which an attempt was made to smother the
blaze. That was of no avail, and another
woman had little better success by wrap
ping shawl about Mrs Desmond. The
latter called to some one to save her child.
He was taken from her arms by woman.
Mrs Desmond, developed in sheet of
flame, started to run to the corner to enter
Il liquor store.
Anton MalkmuS, of No. BOG Seventy
eighth street, picked up piece of carpet
ing and FASTENED to Mrs. DcSmond's assist
ance. He threw the strip around her and
then tried TO tear of some of her clothing.
Catching hold other hustle not too gently,
he was astOundcd to see that it perceptibly
raised up anu there was something not
unlike an explosion of gas that followed.
After that the clothing burned more
rapidly. Inspector Roman, of the Second
avenue line, jumped from Il passing car and
pulling off his coat, wrapped it about her.
4 pail of water was thrown over her and
the flames eXtinguiShed. She was nearly
nude her skirts and apparel having been
burned through to the corset, which was
also badly burned up the back and on the
left side. A blanket was procured and
wrapped about the victim.
When Inspector Roman and another man
tenderly raised Mrs. Desmond in
their arms to carry her to a drug store, she
commenced to cry for her child. Where
is Eddie" GIVE me my baby" she
called out in agonizing tones. She seemed
ObliviOuS to her own hopeless condition
and apparently suffered little pain. But
she kept calling for her little one, and
struggled hard to free herself. Strange to
say
THE BABY WAS UNSCATHED.
His clothes were not even Singed. 1t is
wonderful that the little fellow was not
burned, for the mother had Rugged him
closely to her breast when she first realized
her condition.
Druggist John VI. Fisher, tenant of
Mrs. Desmond, applied such remedies rs
are usually employed in eases of burning
lS soon Us she was brought in and her hus-
band and other relatives were notified of
what had bctalen her. Several physicians
were called and IN ambulance summoned.
Mrs Desmond refused To be taken to the
hospital and declined to he treated by the
ambulance surgeon. After remaining in
the drug store half an hour she WAS carried
to her room upstairs, and DR.. Iaban J..
bradshaw, Of No. 80 East Seventy-iOurth
street, and DIR. Robert FAIRIES, of No. llO5
Lexington avenue, who has had cOnsidcra-
BILE experience with such cases, Were sum-
mOned to attend her. They speedily real
lied that death must come in u few hours.
DR. Bradshaw told reporter yesterday
that it was one of the worst cases that he
had ever seen, and neither he nor DIR. Far
rics could account for such burns being
caused by the blaze of her wearing apparel
alone. From her toes tn her neck she was
burned. even the sOleS of her feet being
blistercd and her hair slightly singcd.
Both thighs and her legs were baked, one
of them almost to 4 crisp. Her right arm
was badly diSiigurcd, and also her right
shoulder where the fire had crept up under
the corset and burned through it and deep
into the flesh.
At no time did Mrs. Desmond appear To
be suffering from physical pain, hut
HER MENTAL DISTRESS
that the baby would be left mOthcrlcss was
very acute. She knew that she could live
only short time, and was conscious until
Just before her death, which occurred at
$50 o'clockWednesday night. The funeral
will take place at ST. MOniCa'S Church, in
East Seventy-ninth street. tomorrow fure-
noon at 10 O'CLOCK, and interment will he
made in Calvary Cemetery.
Although the accident happened only a
few minutes after noon the report Which
was sent to Police Headquarters from the
Fifty-ninth street Precinct late in the even
ing stated that Mrs DeSmOnd's injuries
were confined TO slight burns about the
legs. Only short time elapsed after that
report was made public belGre hsr death
was announced. boadmasterl Thornton said
he saw the burning and thought the wO-
man stepped on parlOr match, which set
her dress or underkirts OH fire. Conductor
Ashman, of Run No. -, jumped OF his
car, passing the cornePof Sevcnty-eighth
street, going uptown, just As Mrs. Dcs-
mOnd's clothes got in 4 blaze, a,,d bU
doesn't think i, could have started Oh a
car. DR.. Bradshaw believes that sparks
in
THE ASHES DISLoRGEn FROM 4 CIsAR
NAV have raileu IN the folds OF her dress or
underskirts and smOuldered there. Posi-
bly the woman : dress which was of Sateen
and quite intlammable, brushed a9ss:::nst a
lighted cigar stump or match. after being
used by a smoker, was carelessly thrown
upon it 1t Is generally believed that the
fire had beeA sWGuldeflng for some time
before bursting into fame.
The reporter, after hearing Mr.. Malk-
mus's story about the explosion of gas in
the hustle, made inquiries at number of
dry goods establishments, and was inform
ed that hustle is sold which is partially
constructed Of celluloid, Mr.. MalkmGs
thinks that the fire vas intensified by
cellulnid hustle or corset, for the blaze was
too hot to be fed by light clothes alone.
Camphor and chemicals used in the COM
position of celluloid make it highly in
tiammable and in burning it emits a gas.
If Mrs. Desmond wore celluloid hustle