The weekly tribune., 1892-05-21
A WOMAN SEVERELY BURNED.
Mrs. AtchisOn, an Invalid. Has q Mar.
row Escape from q Horrible
Death.
The Residence of Mrs. Osborn On Fourth
Avenue South Destroyed
by Fire.

Mr6. AtcnlnSOn ID uoW iyinE III tne |
county hospital suffering from the shock
and injuries sustained in escaping from
the burning house on Fourth avenue
south Thursday morning. The house
referred to was the property of Mrs. A.
Osborn. who lived there with her daugh-
ter, Maggie, and her niece, Mrs. Atchi-
son, and the latter's 14-months old baby.
Mrs. Atchison is the unfortunate wife
of worthless husband who deserted her
some time ago. She supported herself
and baby by working at the Park hotel
until taken sick with rheumatic fever
nearly twelve weeks ago, when she was
obliged to stop working and went to live
with her aunt. For the last six weeks she
has been unable to walk and has been
confined TO her bed almost all the time.
Mrs Osborn was poor, but did all in
her power to make her niece comfort
able. Yesterday morning she went out
to work, leaving her daughter, Maggie,
to take care of the house and the sick
woman. Shortly before noon Maggie,
) who is about II or IL years old, went
across the street to borrow an ak with
which to split some wood. While talk
, ing with neighbor someone called
her attention to the smoke
and flames issuing from the roof
at the rear end of the building. She
! started toward the house screaming for
) someone to save her cousin and the baby,
) but there was no one in the neighbor-
:, hood but few women, who came run
0 ming from their homes.
OI The house was enveloped in flames
- now and it seemed as though the poor
70 woman and her baby were doomed. She
" screamed for help when she first saw the
Il flames flashing in the rear of the house,
If but no one came to her aid and finally
" by a superhuman effort she managed to
i, get off the bed and taking her child in
s her arms dragged herself to the door
n She succeeded in pushing the baby
J. through the doorway and it rolled of
l. the low stoop onto the ground unin-
IS jured. The mother was completely eX
d hausted by her efforts. however, and fell
" over the threshold Of the door, half in
!. and half out of the house. Her clothes
II caught fire Immediately and but for the
d prompt assistance of Mrs. Hawkins, /
neighbor. who dragged the helpless
.e woman from the burning building into
Il. the street and extiDguished the flames
RAPIDLY consuming her clothes, Mrs
Atchison would undoubtedly hav'
i. been fatally burned. AS it was she wa
~ burned on the left arm in two places, ol
:, ~ the left temple and on her throat and OF
= her left leg and foot as well as smalle
burns on other portions of her body. Dl
Is Gelsthorpe was hastily summoned ant
u proceeded to dress the wounds. Th
ne skin was hanging in shreds and the bur
r Oh the foot is serious one. All of then
d. are painful and will leave marks whicl
Ill the poor unfortunate will carry to he
n. grave She was taken to the count
"a hospital where she is doing as well a
~ ~ could be expected. She suffered great
~ from the shock and did not feel the pai
of the burns until after they wer
dressed In fact. the excited state {
her mind prevented her from realizin
e. that she was burned The baby's eye
it brows and eyelids were scorched but b
MS was uninjured.
er The fire department was on the seen
~. almost Immediately after the fire wa
~ discovered. having been notified by
-. messenger before the alarm was turne
10 in. The fire was quickly extinguishe
Ill but such was the inilammablc nature ,
10 the material a pine frame building line
ng with cotton CLOTH that it was totai lo'
ar togethed with the contents before tn
IN tiremen arrived.
Mrs. Osborn was sent for and wa
heartbroken when she viewed her RUNE
home. Not an article of any descriptic
10 was saved. Everything was complete
10 destroyed and although the walls Of Il
building are still standing the tlmbe