New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-29
TWO WOMEN BADLY BURNED
4 GASOLINE STOVE EXPLODES WITH
DEADLY EFFECT.
rrck1rssNEss IN FILLING THE RESERVOIR
COSTS a SERVANT HER LIFI;-HER MISTRESS
NOT EXPECTED TO RECOvER-BRAVE
WORK OF THE OCCUPANTS OF
THE HOUSE.

Pa,nfed June % (SpeciaD.-Planheld was visitol
by a catastrophe at an early hour this morning by
which one life was sacrificed by fire and anothe'
will doubtless have expired before tomorrow morn
ing. There were eight persons asleep In the mouse
No G23 La Granda-ave. shortly before O'Clock tnis
morning. and Of these there are only three VINO
escaped unhurt. The fire was caused by the igniths
Of gasoline. Alice Morcum, a servant is dead ahd
Mrs Gertrude Peterson. her mistress. IL nearly so
Mrs Peterson is widow living with her three
children at the address named.
Three young men, Nathaniel Greenldge, J. j.
Laushlln and George EckhaTd had apartments on
the second floor. 1t was about O'Clock this morn
ing when Greenidge was aroused by Mrs. Peter
sons terrible screams. which came from the
kitchen He rushed downstairs and found her
blindly cropping her way through the front hall
Her clothing was a mass Of flames, and she seemed
almost unconscious. Greenklgc yelled for his con-
panions upstairs to hand him blankets. and
re was trying to throw her upon the nocr and gain
control Of the flames when Eugene Henerman, a
photogra pher who lives next door, burst IN the iroh
door and flung about Mrs. Peterson's form dress
ing gown ne wore. The two men then SUCCEEDED IN
getting the frantic woman out on the lawn, where
they laid her on the grass and smothered the IRE
with blankets.
When this was done Eckhari started on search
f-r the servant Alice Morcum. but he could not ma
where the stove WIS situated and which was by that
time enire.y ab,aze. While the flames We're being
exting1shed Eckharl continued his search. but and
the fire and smoke which filed the lower part or the
house Ids task was difficult and dangerous one
lie finally found the girl huddled In corner, with
nr IN agony on the floor. Although sick at the ter
rshe sight and faint from the smoke Eckhard pluck
fly went TO work put out the fire that had almost
ended the girls life After the flames had been sub
dued the girl was found to ne burned in terrible
manner and her suffclings We're heartren1ing. Her
entire body was backene1 by the flames. every
vestgc Of clothing having been CONSUMED, While sac
Law on the floor hidden by smoke from the view OF
tn ,se who were seeking 70 save her ife After suf-
fer1ng untold agonics for about five minutes she
breathed ~ last
Meanwhe Mrs Peterson was removed from her
house 70 that OF Mr. Heincrman. next door. and
messages were sent to several physicians 10 come
at once An alarm Of fire also sent in. bat tho
fire had already been extnguishcl by the neighb5r7
before the department arrived. No doctor having
been secured by this time Chief T. o. Doane drove
hastily 10 DR. f. ". Hedges office and secured
that physician Up - the time the doctor arrived
Mr. fIeincrman was busy applying soothing band
ages 20 Mrs Pcierson's burns she was suffering
such intense pain that Or. Hedge found II necessary
to prcscrbe morphine. At about O'Clock tie NUM-
enlr'-g U,splral ambulance conveyed Mrs. Peterson
to the hospital where a minute examination OF her
injuries disclosed tho fact that no hope can be en-
tcriained FOR her recovery The entire uppis'r par
I'd from the hesh. her two arms and hands Were
burned 10 a crisp and there seems TO b" no DOUBT
that she Inhaled the flames.
Plainneid. June 2s~The coroner tonight grant
81 n permit 20 remove Alice Morcum's body -
her parents home. ia Nc"-st. The MOrcums
novel h.rc last spring from New brunswick
There seems 10 bc 40 question about INC manner
a. which the fire started and OF the reckless use Of
IN. gasoline stove When tho nrcm"n arrived they
found a funnel IN the reservoir OF the stove an! an
overturned pail that undoubtedly had been filled
with the volatile nuii lyiuS beside the stove.
Thn stove was lighted one 4 the Two women had
been niing the reservoir with gasoline while the
zf,v. nas lighted. the fam" hai c9mmunlclte1
through the vaprr 70 the cOntcnts OF the pail. and
IN. blazing oil was scattered over the seryan; ana
her mis- r,-ss.