The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-08-18
A HORRIBLE DEATH.
A Little Daughter Of J. Fl. Crock
well Burned TO Death.
THE RESULT OF AN EXPLOSION.
A Pan of Coal Oil ExplOdes with Terrible
Effect Others Badly Scorched-A
Night of Terror.

The Virginia city Chronicle of Tuesday
last has the following account of a sad ac-
cident, by which Mr.. and Mrs. j H. Crock
well, formerly of this city, lost their little
daughter Mrs. Crockwell is a daughter
c. H. Bassett, of this city:
A coal oil explosion in the residence Of ]. II
Crockwen, at No. - South street, early last
evening, resulted in the probable fatal burning
OF his eldest daughter, Ada, and the serious
scorcblng of three other occupants of the prerni-
ses. The explosion was caused by the contents
OF pan of coal oil carelessly placed on the top
OF stove becoming ignited from the heat of "a
fire that Mr.. CroclSwell had Just ignited
The moment the infiamable fluid became ie-
nited an explosion followed, scattering the
burning oil in every direction and instantly set
ting fire to the clothing of the two little dauph
out of the apartment into B street, followed BY
j. b. Palmer, an attache of Crockwe1rs photo
graph gallery, who succeeded in tearing q por-
ton OF the burning clothing from the screaming
girls person. thereby terribly searching his
hands and face
When the shrieking girl appeared on B street.
George L. Iammon, n, youth of scarcely IF
teen, who was passing along that thoroughfare
with rare presence of MUD and courage in
stantly Invested his person of his coat and en-
Veoplng the girl in its folds Smothered the fire
in her clothing. Neighbors soon came TO the
assistance and succeeded in speedily extinguish-
ing the last spark of fire on the childs person
w nue. ILLS IeIflDlS scene was DelnI enacted
on b street, Mr.. Croclwell had succeeded in ex-
tinguishing the fire in the burning clothing OF
his infant daughter and in the apartment where
the explosion occurred, receiving q severe
scorchtng of his hands, face and other portions
of his person in saving his youngest daughter
from horrible death and his residence from de
Struction.
To add to the confusion and excitement fol
lowing the explosion, an alarm OF fire was
sounded, caused by the appalling vision OF
Crockwells eldest daughter emerging from the
premises enveloped in sheet of fame, and the
city hose carts came laundering on the scene,
While people gathering from every direction soon
swelled the crowd in the vicinity to above q
thousand.
the injuries received by the eldest girl OF the
graveSt nature and those of the other victims of
the explosion serious, but not necessarily fatal
The flesh on the entire body of Ada the eldest
girl is frightfully burned and the chance for her
recovery is very doubtful
Lulu, the youngest girl, was also seriously
burned on the left side, but her injuries are not
fatal Mr.. Crockwell was severely burned on
the right leg, where the flaming oil was scat
tered at the time of the explosion and his hands
are also severely Scurched.
Mr. PalmerS hands were so seriously
scorched from attempting to eXtinguish the
flames in the eldest girls clothing that the skin
peeled of when touched.
MIR. CRoCKwELL's STATEMENT
Mr. Croclwen gives the following account OF
the origin of the explosion which differs materi-
ally lrOll the ABOVE. tie Qdu klEQleu q IRE III
the stove to dry some silk upon which to take
photographs. One of the covers of the stove
being lost he picked up a skillet, which he sup
posed contained water and placed it over the
open space on the top Ofthe stove.
Stepping outside of the room for a moment he
returned leading his infant daughter by the
hand. At that moment the fire in the stove
ignited what proved to be coal oil IN the skillet
on top of the stove and the slight explosion fol-
lowing scattered the liquid fire over the person
of Mr.. Crockwell and his daughter and their
clothing was instantly in flames, which he sue
ceeded in eXtinguishing before either himself or
daughter were fatally burned.
At the moment when the coal oil caught fire
j. Palmer, an att3che of the photograph
gallery, entered the room and Selling the skillet
with the blazing fluid rushed out of the apart
ment in the direction of B street In the narrow
passage he rad against the eldest daughter Of
Mr.. Crockwel who was approaching in the OppO
site direction, splitting the blazing fluid over her
clothing, and. in an instant, she was enveloped
in sheet of fame which was ox6inguished as
stated above by George Lammon.
Mr.. Palmer's clothing was also in a blaze
which he eXtinguished by throwing his person
on the ground and rolling in the dust but not
until he was frightfuuy burned about the face
and left hand, which was swollen TO an extent
thai made it necessary to cut a gold ring from
his fiaGer.
The final result OF the injuries to Ada, the
eldest child of Mr.. Rockwell is still involved in
doubt. The most severe burns found on her
person are upon the arms and legs. The upper
portion of her chest, back and feet were not
IOucaed Dy tue Scorcnlug names ana ner race is
not disigured. The child's clothing was so.
thoroughly saturated with the burning oil that il
was necessary to remove every vestige OF il from
hec person, aud before the last spark was ex
tinguished she was perfectly nude on tue side
waiz vita the exception of the shoes on her feet.
Wednesdays issue of the same paper
says:
The eldest daughter OF J. H. Crockwell Ada.
who was more seriously burned than any OF the
others in the coal oil explosion evening before
last. died last evening about 5 o'clock The
physicians had at no time much hope of her re
covery after they saw the extent and severity Of
her injuries
Little Ada, who lost her life was born in Salt
Lake city, June 30, 1878. She was beautiful,
interesting and lovable child and bright beyond
her years.
Mr.. Crockwel and Mr.. Palmer, while still in
great pain, are doing as well as could be ex
pscted. The father hardly seems to realize his
great affection.
Little Lulu, the ive-year-old child was quite
cheerful at the time the Enterprise went to
press, and in fact has borne up remarkably well
throughout.