The sun., 1898-05-27
DEADLY WORK
OF NAPHTHA
Mrs. Elizabeth A. Willis Fatally
Burned by an Explosion While
Polishing Furniture.
BURNED ALMOST TO A CRISP
Suffered Excruiaiins Agony Until
Death Released Her.
Full Details as to How the Terrible
Accident Occurred--.Flames Also@
Destroy the House and Furni-
ture in Which They
.o Resided.

ture in Which They
Resided.
Mrs. Elizabeth A. Willis, wife of Levin
I. Willis, general foreman of the Balti-
more 4 Ohio Railroad at this point was
fatally burned by naphtha yesterday at
noon at her home No. I'LL Rodney street
Wilmington and died at 4.3O o'clock yes
terday afternoon in the Delaware Hospi-
tai, as a result of her injuries.
About II. .55 O'Clock yesterday morning
the driver of Bailey & Manley, Of this
city left a five gallon can of naphtba
at the residence of Mr.. Willis as per
order.
Mrs. Willis at the time was cleaning
house and went into the parlor for the
purpose of cleaning the furniture with
the oil, leaving her daughter Blanche,
aged II years in the dining room.
In very short time Mrs. Willis
opened the glass door of the parlor lead
ing to the yard and had just stopped to
get more naphtha on rag, with which
She was polishing the furniture, when
the damp air struckthe mouth of the
can and an instant later there was a
terrible explosion which shook the
entire building.
In a second the unfortunate Woman's
clothes were one mass of seething flames
as was also the room in which the ac-
cjdent occurred.
Mrs. Willis with one piteous appeal
for help ran out of the burning room
with her clothes still ablaze and fell in
the alley, leading to the house, in a
emi-conscious condition, whilst her
daughter Blanche stood by screaming
for someone to save her mother from the
awful Ate of burning to death before her
eyes.
One of the first persons to reach the
scene of the disaster was Gustave Ripka,
who had been doing some upho.stering
in the vicinity for NJ. Megary q Son
Taking in the situation at a glance he
tore the burning clothing from the body
of Mrs. Willis, and in SO doing badly
scorched his hands.
In the meantime Police Sergeant Black
had arrived and he summoned the
Phoenix ambulance, which conveyed
Mrs. Willis TO the Delaware Hospital,
after DIR. Mccullough had partially al
layed the excruciating agony she was
suffering.
When she was taken to the hospital
DR.. Palmer made an examination and
found that her face, hands and body had
been almost burned to crisp, while not
a vestigc of her hair remained ON her
head. She had also inhaled the fumes
and death relieved her from her suffer-
ings at the time stated above.
Five. minutes after the explosion the
house in which the Willis family re-
sided was one mass of flames, the front
being frame.
The fact that fire was in progress
had been telephoned from tie residence
of &. q. Cameron, to the Baltimore 4
Ohio ralrond station and an alarm was
turned in from box No. n.
In very few minutes the Phoenix,
Water Witch and Friendship fire compa-
nies and the Delaware truck We're on the
scene of the conhagration, and although
they did all that was possible to save
the burning building the task was hope
less, and it with all of the furniture and
personal effects of the Willis family was
eaten up by the flames.
The fire also communicated with the
residence OF John Maxwell, No. 1909
Rodney street, but was extinguished be-
fore it could do much damage.
The house tenanted by the Willis
family is owned by the Mutual Loan
Association. The loss is $500 and is
fully covered by insurance in tie
New Caste County Insurance Com
pany.
The furniture, etc, OF Mr.. Willis was
valued al $500, upon which there was no
insurance.
While the fire was at its height Mr..
Willis was telegraphed for and he ar
rived a few minutes after his daughter,
Miss BeuIuh Willis, who had, just re-
turned from work. The young lady was
overcome with grief and she and Miss
Blanche were taken care OF by kindly
neighbyrs, while the almost frantic hus-
band and father was driven to the Della
ware Hospital, " here he fastened to the
bedside OF his diving wife.
He then returned home to inform his
daughters that their mother was still
living and again went back to the hospi- !
tai where be remained until his wife
her last.
Deputy Coroner Chandler will hold an
inquest in the case today.
A singular coincidence in reference to .
the fire is the fact that when the alarm !
was sounded one of the members of the
firm who had sold the Naphtha to Mrs.
Willis asked where the fire was and on
being informed was almost prostrated
from the effect of the blow, especially,
when he learned Of Mrs. Willis terrible
condition.
A pocket book was found in the rear
ward of the burned dwelling by Fireman
Murphy and was turned over to Sergeant
Black. He. returned it to Mr. Willis who
stated that it was the property OF his
wife. 1t is supposed that the purse was
blown in the yard by the force OF the ex-
plosion.
The sad accident has thrown the