The San Francisco call., 1896-05-15
A CH|LD'S DEATH
BY FLAMING OIL,
Little Ethel Became Sue
cumbS to the Tortures
Of the Explosion.
PLAYED WITH MATCHES.
Pitiful Sufferings of the Youthful
Victim of Wednesdays
Accident.
THE SUSPICIOUS ARSON CASE
Woman's Suffrage Convention Will
Extend Over Two Days in
Alameda City.
PLAYED WITH MATCHES
THE SUSPICIOUS ARSON CASE

ALAMEDA, CAL, May 1.-THE little
13-year-old daughter of J. Became, who
was burned SO terribly by the explosion of
a tank containing crude petroleum
Wednesday last, died yesterday in great
agony. The Coroner's jury returned a
verdict that death was caused by burns
produced by the accidental explosion of a
petroleum tank. The funeral services take
place tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock at
St. Josephs Church, and the interment
Will be at st. Mary's cemetery.
The details of the accident are exceed
ingly painful.
! The father was at work in the nursery
adjoining his house, at 2135 Central ave.
nue.. Shortly before supper he observed
his little girl playing among the plants
near the hothouse. Suddenly he was
startled by terrific conclusion, followed
by the screams of the little girl. In a mo-
ment the child ran out from the smoke
| caused by the explosion. The father
rushed to her. and with the aid of neigh
| bors who were attracted by her cries sue
ceeded in e4tinguishing the child's burn
| ing clothing.
1t was TOO late, however; his little
daughter lay on the ground fearfully
| burned and scorched. Though almost in
| ciuerated, she bravely submitted to the
| doctors treatment. She was able to talk a
| little, and told them she suffered little
| pain excepting at her ankles and fingers.
| She told those watching over her that she
| had been playing with matches, and said,
with pitiful little attempt at humor, that
she felt dandy"
Her system could not withstand the
severe nervous shock, and she sank grad
ually toward midnight, dying early in the
| morning.
| Drs. Keyes ana Lubbock were in attend
ance, but from the first they entertained
| little hope Of the child's recovery. There
| was scarcely a square inch of her body
that had not been laeerated by the flames.
The child stated that she had caused the
explosion by lighting the end of BAN boo
pole and then thrusting it into the tank of
| petroleum.
She was beloved greatly by her little
playmates and was pupil in the sixth
grade OF the Porter School In two weeks
| she would have been 13 years old.
The tank was part OF an apparatus used
in heating the greenhouses. 1t had proven
unsuccessful and its use had been discon-
| tIuued. The force OF the explosion was so
great that the top Of the tank was blown
| oil and the tank and all carried over high
fence, standing some thirty feet distant
There was about thirty-tive gallons of oil
in the tank.
Mir. Became, while extinguishing the
flames on his daughter, was severely
burned on his left arm, and it is quite pos
sible that he will lose some of his fingers.
The Floral Fete.
ALAMEDA, CAL, May 14-Forty ladies
met this afternoon in the Council cham Der
| 10 further discuss and arrange the details
| in connection with the floral fete
The various committee appointed are:
Executive-Mesdames K. Frank Clark. G.
r. Rossitter, ". H. Pollard, j. Fox; re-
freshment-Miss Spencer, Mrs. Weeks,
| Mrs. Hovey, Mrs. Robinson; printing
Mrs. Sutter, Mrs. Ratbgeb; music-Mrs
Smith, Mrs. Dennis; treasurer, Mrs. A. o.
Gott; managers-tThursday EVENING" Mrs.
Baurhyte, (Friday EVENING" Miss Elliot;
decorating, Mrs. Ward; carpenter work
Mrs. O'Neill, Mrs. Winter; lanterns, Mrs.
ii, I. Lally.
1t was decided to build a special plat
form for 200 chairs for Friday nights per-
:, formance. The ladies intend soliciting
the labor and nails for the construction of
the platform and tiers of seats behind the
| same.
Reserved seats will cost so cents and re-
served chairs rs cents. The Presidio Band
has been engaged Tor the two days.
The concert Oh Thursday evening is to
include the national airs of the world, and
| Mr.. Fairweather will sing Hymn to
| California, composition of his own.
! Armory Hall Fire.
ALAMEDA, CAL, May 4-Nothing OF
Importance has trans pired to-day over the
attempted arson case in Armory Hall
Most OF those who contrived the practical
| joke have publicly stated the part they
| took in the affair, but this does not in any
way clear up the fire under the stage nor
| the gas ali being turned on as stated by
| Armorer Conrad Klare. One thing is GER
tain-there was a blaze and the ashes o.
the fire could not have existed there for
months as is contended. Some say the
whole thing is "a case of puress rot" but
as the police have the matter in hand more
will certainly be heard of it.
Woman Suffrage Convention.
ALAMEDA, CAL, May 1.-THE idea of
| holding a convention here on the woman
suffrage movement has taken such hold
that the project OF holding only one days
meeting has been enlarged to two, and
| the meeting place has also been changed.
The meetings will be held on Thursday,
May 81, and Friday, May %. Three
sessions, viz, Thursday and Friday after
noon and Friday evening, will be held in
| the Unitarian Church, Grand street.
Thursday evenings session will be held in
| Germans Hall, Lincoln avenue. The
sessions Will commence at P. n. and
! p NJ respectiyely.