The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-04-16
A BAD EXPLOSION
Mrs. Alfred Lyons and Young Daughter
Nearly Burned to Death by
a Kerosene Explosion.
The Mother Was Burned Quite Severely
And it is Hardly Possible That
She Will Recover.
THE SALVATION ARMY
The Company Of Workers Has Returned
to Mitchell to Resume the Work
Of Several Years Ago.
A KEROSENE EXPLOSION.
A Lady and Her Daughter Seriously
Burned, the Result of an Explosion.


Burned, the Result of an Explosion.
Tuesday evening the twelve-year-old
daughter of Alfred Lyon, who lives on
the south side, went into the kitchen to
prepare the evening meal and as the
! fire in the stove was nearly OUT she
thought to hasten its burning by pour
ing on some kerosene. She procured
the fluid, little thinking of the possible
dangerous results, and poured it on the
dying embers of the fuel left in the
stove. Immediately following this
came the explosion and as the girl was
standing in close proximity to the
stove the flame, which shot from it,
easily caught on her clothing. At
tracted by the cries of her daughter
Mrs. Lyons, who was in another room,
hurried to the kitchen, and beheld her
child clothed in flaming fire. With
the one thought of extinguishing the
blaze Mrs. Lyons clasped her in her
arms thinking thus to avert any
disaster, but it only made the matter
worse for her clothing caught fire from
the flames which enveloped her daugh-
ter. They then ran out of the house
into the street crying pitifully for help
and their appeals we're heard by several
University students, who boarded in a
house near by. They took in the ter
rible situation of the unfortunate wo-
men at glance and securing several
quilts rushed to the assistance of the
women. The students wrapped the
ladies in the quilts and iu few mo-
ments extingu1shed the flames. They
were taken into the house and DR..
Bobb and MIR. Lyons, who had not re.
turned from work, were sent for. The
physician done all in his power to al
leviate the sufferings of the fire victims
and with the kindly assistance of the
neighbors they managed to pass the
night comfortably. DR.. Baker, who
took charge of the cases this morn
ing, stated that Mrs. Lyons was
burned severely. The upper and
front portion OF Ler body suffered
greatly from the flames, burning the
flesh to crisp in many places, and
both arms were badly burned. Hel
face escaped the flames. DR.. Bake,
considered her chances very slim fol
recovery. The girl Jared better anG
was not burned 80 much as her mother
The burned portions were noticeable
only on her arms, limbs and one OF
two other places and her condition il
not at all alorming at the present time
When the young girl emptied the con
tents of the cup into the stove, the can
which she also held in her hand, ex
ploded, knocking the bottom out anc
spread the frey contents over baske
of clothes, which we're also consumed
The impression seems to be prevalen
among the neighbors that there mus
have been mixture of gasoline ant
kerosene to have caused the explosion
in the can.
Mr.. Lyons was formerly employed il
the Milwaukee roundh house as black
smith, but was laid off last fall whel
business Stacked up, since which tim
he has endeavored to earn livelihoo,
by doing blacksmithing in his shop o.
east First street. What makes tn
situation more pathetic is that Mrs
Lyons gave birth to child about si
weeks ago, and the little infant is liabl
to be left motherless. Mr.. Lyons feel
exceedingly sad over the accident an
seems to realize that there is smal
hope for the recovery of his wife. Th
, neighbors have taken charge of tn
Lyons household and they will see tha
, the unfortunate victims of the explc
} sion will have every care and comfort
A subscription paper was started Wed
nesday for the immediate relief c
I, the family and liberal donation wa
made toward the support of the family
This is the second catastrophe of
, similar nature which has occurred i
, that house, the first resulting from q
, improper use of gasolene when Jak
Kersh lived there and the house wa