Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-07-21
Explosion Of InfIammabIe Fluid
in a Dyeing Establishment
Injuries Three Persons.
ONE WOMAN DIES AS A RESULT
Rushed Into the Street With
Her Clothes Ablaze and
Was Horribly Burned--
Exciting Fire on East
Eighth Street on
Tuesday,.

Mrs. Josephine Ragey fatally burned.
John kagey, her husband, burned
about the face.
Miss Marie Ragey, their daughter,
burned about the face ana arms.
The house, Noe East Eighth street,
damaged by fire to the extent of $500
covered by insurance; the contents
damaged to the extent of $500, unin-
cured.
Such in brief is the record of fire
ut the dyeing establishment No. East
Eighth street, on account Of which an
alarm WAS sent in from box No. 10
front Of the Grand Opera House, at
IL. AZ o'clock Tuesday morning.
The fire started in the rear of the
dwelling, which is owned by Mrs. PEN
nington, and occupied Ivy MIR. and Mrs.
Ragey, their daughter, Marie. and
their sonin-law, George Dellegh and
his wife Aline. The DeHeghs were
away. 1t will be recallsd that Mr..
DeHegh was slightly burned a few
months ago, when fire occurred at the
house under apparently similar circum
stances. The exact cause of this morn
ing's blaze is difficult to establish. A
plausible supp0sition ia that Mrs. Ragey
WAS in the rear room using benzine,
gasoline or naphtha in the cleaning OF
goods; that while SO doing fire was
communicated from the cook stove in
the adjoining room to the gas arising
from tho oil, and in an instant the
whole air was full of fire. Another re-
port is that gasoline stove exploded.
From all that can be learned, there was
no explosion, or II there was. it made
no loud noise.
U. ii. Fitzgerald, who lives at No.
S0d Market street, was in his yard,
when he heard screams and saw flames.
and the next inatant, Mrs. RHgey
rushed through her house towards
Eighth street. Meanwhile her daughter,
Mario, had rushed to the street to give
the alarm, and moment later, Mrs.
Ragey appeared. As soon as she reached
the pavement she ran into tha arms ui
Humphrey Lynch who with the assist
ance of Wilmer Stewart. Howard Shus.
ter, John W. Morris and others. threw
hsr to this ground aud with coats and
rugs smothered the flames which anvel.
oped her body. Nearly all her body
was affected by the flames and her con-
dition was seen TO be very serious.
The PhpnlX ambulance wHH sent for,
and in Is minutes from that moment
she had reached tho homeopathic Hos.
pital, a very creditable record for the
ambulance.
Several Of the persons who aHsiste
in efforts to relieye her were slightly
burned. 4c
To the meantime. Mr.. Ragey, who
had been scorched on the face, and his
daughter, who had sustained burns or
her arms aud face, were receiving at.
tention in the house, DR.. j. II. Stubbl
dressing the wounds, which are main.
full but not serious. Herbert X. Wat.
son and Washington Ralston assisted.
Husband and daughter were taken &c
the hospital TO see Mrs. Ragey. MIR.
Deilegh, who had heen notified of ths
accident. also went there.
While the injuries Of the people were
being dressed the firemsn wore fighting
the flames, which were confined to the
rear of the houss, but which wrecked
two rooms On the first floor, and die
tome damage On the second. In short
sine they had the fire extinguiHhed.
Mrs. Ragey died at 6.30 O'Clock
Tuesday evening.