Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1893-08-03
YOUNG WOMAN BURNED.


FearfulIy Burned by Her
Clothes Taking Fire
From a Cook
stove.
Friday morning about half-past five
o'clock, Miss Carrie Rsnkins, a young
woman living on Chestnut avenue,
while getting breakfast, was terribly
burned by her clothes taking fire from
the cook stove
Miss Rankins. who is sixteen years
old, and lives with her parents, Mr..
and Mrs Hugh Rankins, has been
taking care of Mrs. JOHN Fitzpatrick,
who has two weeks old infant, and
who lives also on Chestnut avenue
almose opposite the Rankins'residence
She stays at home nights and goes
over to Mrs. Fitzpatrick's in the MORN
ing. This morning, as usual, she arose
and went across the street to Mrs.
Fitzpatrick's at five O'Clock, made a
fire in the cook stove, and proceeded
about getting breakfast. Mr.. Fitz-
patrick, who is a gas maker on the
night turn at the Cumberland Glass
Works, had not yet got home from
his work.
The cook stove stands close up in
the corner of the kitchen, and right
in the corner stands the wood box.
Miss Rankins took the lid off the stove
and leaned over to the box to get
more wood to put in the stove. The
window near the stove was up and the
fresh morning breeze blew her dress
over the stove and it caught fire, when
she Strengthened up with the handful
of wood she found herself enveloped
in flames.
Screaming she ran into the bedroom,
which was an adjoining room occu-
pied by Mrs. Fitzpatrick with her in
FAINT upon the bed, and two little boys
on the floor She threw herself upon
the bed with Mrs. Fitzpatrick crying
out "Oh, Mrs. Fitzpatrick. tear my
clothes off,
The frantic girl was wild and so was
Mrs. Fitzpatrick, whose bed clothing
and baby's clothes were set on fire.
But for the presence of mind OF the
two tiny Fitzpatrick boys. the two
women and infant might have been
burned to death. One of the little
boys grasped the girl and pulled her
off the bed, while the other seized the
the broom and fought her out OF the
room.
Screaming murder, the frantic girl
rushed flaming across the street to her
home and into the house; her mother
caught her and tried to smother the
flames but without much avail.
Mr.. Ranklns, Mr.. Cheesman and
Mr.. Shaw seized the girl and her
mother threw a pan of water on her
and put out the blaze.
The young woman was fearfully
burned from her hips to the back of
her neck, on her right side and the
right side OF her breast, and her right
arm.
The skin pealed off in great flakes
and her flesh was in some places crisp
and In others raw, and she was in great
suffering.
Physicians were summoned and DR..
Oliver, happening to be but few
doors away, arrived first and dressed
the wounds.
The burning will not necessarily be
fatal, as she did not seem to inhail any
of the flames and the burning is mostly
on the back
Mrs. Fitzpatrick is very badly burned
on the breast and hands and the baby
had its clothing burned, but escaped
injury. Mrs. Rankins had her apron
and clothes set on fire and was badly
burned on the hands.
1t was reported at first that the girl
had attempted to start the fire with
kerosene oil, but.she denies this and
told the PIONEER reporter just how
the accident happened. The reporter
questioned Mr.. Fitzpatrick and he said
there was not drop of oil In the
house the can being empty and the
lamp buring out at midnight.
A Ministerial Director With.
draws.