The herald., 1897-08-09
LIT HIS PIPE
The Result Surprised Him
Greatly
GASOLINE IN A c0FFEEcUR
BURNED HIMSELF, wITz AND
BABY
The Doctors Hope for the Recovery Of
the Patients A F1reman's
Body Recovered
associated Press Special wire.

ISsOcialeu FresS special wire.
CHICAGO, Aug. S.LThree persona
composing the family Of Peter veth, No.
227 East Huron street, were seriously
burned in fire caused by an explosion
of gasoline. The injured are:
Peter Veth. ~
Mrs. Bessie Veth, his wife. n
Edwin veth. aged years.
Mrs. Veth was more seriously injured
than her husband and child. but she will
probably recover.
Mrs. Veth went to the rooms Of Mrs.
G. H. Solomon, on the second floor. from
whom she had rented the rooms. and
procured a small quantity of gasoline in
coffee cup, to clean brass bedstead.
Taking 1t to her room, she used the stun
in cleaning the bed. and with a brush
applied 1t to the woodwork, while the
cup containing the oil stood on the floor
beside her. Her little boy, with bare
feet, wearing but little clothing. was
playing on the floor. 1t was noticed that
the gasoline had filled the room with
vapor, and Mr veth struck a match
an instant there was an explosion, and
the room was filled with flames. The
flames caught the clothing Of Mrs veth.
The husband caught UP the child In his
arms and ran down the stairs out of the
fire. A few seconds later he was fol-
lowed by his wife. who was screaming
and enveloped in. flames from head to
foot. All her clothing was burning and
the wrapper she wore fell from her in
blazing strips. At the landing on the
second floor she met Mrs Solomon, the
landlady, and the frantic woman threw
her arms around Mrs Solomon and beg
ged her to save her. Mrs. Solomon dis
engaged herself only to be grasped
again about the neck by the agoniEed
woman. She succeeded in shaking her
off and ordering her to remain standing
where she was she ran into one OF the
rooms and procured pitcher OF water
which she poured over Mrs. Veth. This
was repeated by the landlady and then
the latter threw around Mrs. Veth
large quilt from one of the beds and
the flames were subdued. The boys
injuries were not serious. After giving
the boy to an officer, Mr.. Veth ran up
stairs and found his wife in the rooms Of
Mrs. Solomon. In all her pain Mrs.
Veth cried out for her child and could
with difficulty be made to believe that
his injuries were comparatively slight.
The mother was removed at once in a
Chicago avenue ambulance to the Ger
man hospital. There the physicians. af-
ter dressing her burns, said she would
probably recover. Mr.. Veth was taken
to the same hospital. His hands and
arms are severely burned and his hair
and eyebrows singed.
THE DEAD FIREMAN
The dead body of Fireman Thomas
Monaghan, Chief Sweeney's driver.
came to the surface of the river this
morning and the crew of tug which
was passing at the time towed 1t to the
Indian street bridge, where it was taken
on shore and removed to Rolston's
morgue at II Adams street.
The tug Frank r. Crane steamed slow
ly up the north branch of the river this
morning. Captain Knaggs. chief en-
gineer of the Independent Tug company,
and Captain John Hennessy, in charge
of the tug, were standing in the bow Of
the boat and both were watching the
murky water intently. Near the Indiana
street bridge the body Of man rose to
the surface. The tug towed it to the
bank A number of firemen were pres
ent and when the body was turned face
upward they at once recognized the
features of the chiefs late driver, Thos.
Monaghan.
The dead driver, to all appearances,
received the full force of the explosion
in the Northwestern elevator Thursday
evening. The body came to the surface
in the middle of the river and when the
examina ton was made of the remainsit
was found that both of Monaghan's legs
were broken below the knee and his left
arm was also broken. His uniform was
torn into shreds in places and his face
bore evidence of having been severely
burned.
1t is believed by the firemen who were
at the fire Thursday evening that Mon
aghan was standing on the pier which
extended from the elevator into the
water. Some people who were standing
on the Indiana street bridge stated af-
ter the explosion that two men had been
seen on the pier and that both had gone
when the smoke cleared away.
Who Monaghan's companion was no
one seems to know. His remains are
still unaccounted for. The police believe
that they will also come to the surface
of the water in day or two The, off,
GERS, however, will continue to drag the
river.