The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-07-14
Sad Accident at McElhenny 5
Hotel Last Evening.
A DOMESTIC TIE VICTIM
The Upsettiug of a Pan of Fat on a
GAsoloue Stove Caused Blaze Which
Ignitsd the Girls Clothing and Burned
Her Horribly.

A sad accident occurred at Councilman
McElhenny's hotel, corner white and
Centre streets, last night, shortly before
seven O'Clock, by which Mary Szrobel, a
girl seventeen years of age, was so severely
burned that she died at 715 o'clock this
morning.
The girl was employed as a maid Of all
work at the hotel and Yesterday assisted
In the kitchen. After frying some oysters
she placed the pan of fat on the part Of
the gasoline stove which was not in
operation, but III such a manner that the
handle of the pan projected from the
stove so that later, when the girl hurried
past, her person struck the handle and
splashed the fat over the lighted part OF
| the gasoline stove.
The girl seemed at first insensible to
her own danger, and Notwithstanding her
clothing had been ignited she stopped and
picked up the blazing pan, which had
fallen upon the floor, but the next instant
| her screams of fright and pain aroused
the whole neighborhood.
| Mr.. MCElhenny and Constable Phillips
rushed into the Kitchen and found it in a
blaze, the flames reaching to the ceiling.
| The girl rushed past them like q deer so
suddenly that they had no time to realize
that her clothing was on fire, and they
| turned their attention to saving the house,
| and with the assistance OF Fred. V.
HeisenberRer succeeded In eTtiuguishing z
| the flames.
Meanwhile the flames were making
awful progress over the person of the
unfortunate girl. Meade Peters. the
| caterer, met her In the hall and, seizing a
door mat, made two strokes at the burn
ing clothing with good effect, but the
| girl swept past him and out upon Centre
street with such speed that the fire was
| fannaH intp inpraogaA ~ a..
tracted victim ran up Centre street and
| tried to eut or Hesenberger's store, but as
| her blazing clothing would certainly have
| set the place on fire she was prevented
| from doing so. Several attempts were
made to get coats about the girl to
smother the flames, but she was so strong
| and quick that she broke away each time.
| Finding her course to the store cut of
| the victim turned and ran into the mid
| die of the street. Then she turned again
and started back for McElhenuy's. 1t
was at this point that John j. Reilly,
| Constable Phillips, Hon. Y. j. Higgins,
| Meade Peters and others succeeded in
surrounding the girl in such a way as to
| cover her body with their coats and
| smother the flames But little OF her
| clothing remained and she presented q
| pitiful state. The back OF the body and
| limbs from the heels to the neck were
| horribly burned and the fr0utof the body
/ X
wise Her head, face, breast aud hands
escaped injury.
Msssrs. McElhsnny and Peters hurried
the girl to \ room on the third floor OF the
| hotel and summoned Dr. ID. w. Straub.
| The physician pronounced the case a
| helpless one on sight, but did all in his
power to alleviate the sufferings of the
victim and she soon rested easily. Rev.
| AmbrOmaitis, of St. Georges Lithuanian
| Catholic church, was summoned and he
administered the last rites The girl
showed great fOrtitude in her sufferinRs
| during the night. Shortly after seven
o'clock this morning she awoke from a
deep slumber, flashed a glance at those
in the room and expired. The remains
were taken in charge by Undertaken
Meluskey, who removed them to the
residence of the girls uncle in the First
ward.
Mary Skrobel was half orphan who
had supported herself for some time pasV
| by doing service in various households
and is spoken Of as having been a hard
working and industrious girl. Her father
died about two years ago from injuries
sustained in the mines. The mother re-
sides at VIM. Penn, but of late years the
girl has been practically under the guar
| dianship Of her uncle.