The Portland daily press., 1899-08-17

HORRIBLY BURNED.
Miss-Caroline Toothaker
the Victim.
The Accident Occurred Tuesday at
Mere Point.
Burning Oil Stove Cause
of the Accident.
Miss Toothaker's Condition Is
Reported To Be Critical.

Miss Caroline Toothaker of ile Neal
street, was seriously. II not fatally,
burned at Grant cottage, Blackstone
PARK, Mere Point. on Tuesday. At last
reports her physician had said that her
chances Of recovery were about even, but
her pulse was very low and she might not
recover.
Miss Toothaker was In merry party
which was passing q few days at Mere
Point Accompanying her were her sis
ter. Miss Mary Toothaker who is book
keeper for Rines Brothers company;
Messrs. Edward and Robert Toothaker,
Mrs. Pine. Mrs. Alice ID. Croker and
Miss Marcia Pickett. all or Portland,
In preparing dinner on Tuesday the
young ladies' had used both the range In
the cottage and three-burner oil stove
AZ soon as dinner was prepared the nre
In the range was allowed to 20 out and
the oil stove was extinRulshed as 1t was
believed. Some time after dinner Miss
Toothaker and Mrs. Crockar started TO
carry the oil stove Into another room
Miss Toothaker took one end OF the stove.
"NA@A WINS 4htto ncatJ anu 0Fb. Of0Ckof
took the other end. The space betm ecn
the range and the door through which
they intended to pass was very narrow
and Miss Toothaker when they reached
this place, asked Mrs. Croker to allow
her to go through the narrow space first.
just as they were passing the range,
1t Is believed that the oil stove was tipped
little, allowing some of the oil to escape
and fall upon the stove. This oil ignited
quickly and In an instant the entire oil
stove was in a blaze. Miss Toothaksr
AMI Mrs. Croker dropped the oil stove
en- to the floor. The.oil Spreading to the
floor took fire and flame several feet
high shot upwards towards the ceiling.
With o startling cry Miss Tocthaker.
who was wedged In tho narrow srase be-
hind the range Attempted to escape In
jumping over the blazing oil stove ON
the door It Is thought that her skirts took
fire and before the onlookers realized
what had happened the woman was
wreathed in flames. She ran through the
cottage to the door while those who were
In the cottage endeavored to extinguish
the flames. There was not rug or any.
thing OF that kind handy which ,ouId be
used to wrap around the woman, but
the cry of fire aroused Mrs. Staples Ct
Brunswick. who occupied thu adjoining
cottage and she ran into the Grant cot
tags carrying pail Of water. At the
door she met Miss Toothaker with her
clothing In flames and tipped the pail
of water over her, extinguishing thesnre.
Mics Toothaker's clothing Was nearly
all burned OF her and excepting the
head, neck and waist the body was hor-
ribly burned. AS foon as possible ply
sician was summoned from Mere Point
and DIR. Mitchell Of Brunswick also sent
for Everything possible was dons to
alleviate the terrible suffering OF Miss
Toothaker.
When Miss Marcia Fickett, who re-
turned home yesterday afternoon, left
Miss Toothaker she was in a cottage near
the one in which the accident occurred,
and DIR. Mitchell said that the chances
for her recovery were not quite as good
as they had seemed The night before
The cotragers had few minutes of
lively work to save the Grant cottsEe
from burning. and as 1t was the floor of
the kitchen and tbs shelves of neigh
boring cupboard were badly charred.
Miss Ioothaker Is most estimable
young woman and has hosts of friends
In Portland who will be shocked TO learn
of her accident. Just what was the cause
of the oil stoves catching fire VIII never
be knowu, but the accident is thought to
have been the result OF some of the oil
from this stove dropping upon the heat
ed range.