Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-08-16

Charles Bean Slips Out Of Room q Mo
ment TO Find II All Abia.e on His Re
turn-Had 10 Run Through Flames 4
Escape-Twn.Thirds or His Bod,
Burned Over-Dies 10 Hours Later
Cause Hard to Understand
An accident that created bit of
panic about town for a few moments
and included the fatal burning o
Chas Bean, 3D. long time employee
occurred at the gas house Wednesday
afternoon. Just how it happened will
never be known with certainty. He
could not explain, though protestir 9
that he was not to blame. All that
is known is that be found the room
full of flame, rushed through it out
of doors. rolled in the sand, and ran,
tearing his burning clothing off, and
shouting to his family who lived ia
the house adjoining and to all people
be met to run for their lives as the
gas house was going to explode,
through the bridge and to the toll
house where he arrived with only his
shoes on. John White, 7 Clarity and
stranger had aided him 10 strip.
ping. The fire alarm was rung and
the department on thei scene.within a
few moments, but found little needing
| to be done, as the fire vas nearly out
of itself, burning only in the cupola,
catching from twirl OF fame over
the upright engine and chair
| A very little water was sufficient to
put this out and Dea Thompson who
quickly arrived saw there was no
Danger and asked the work to cease
with this. DR. Conland and Miss Law
renee, the nurse, were both on hand
within five minutes to care for the
injured man. DR. Waterman arrived a
few moments after and DIR Holton
later. They found about two-tbirds
of the body burned over so that the
skin peeled of but apparently super.
fetal burns, not deep, though this
can never be determined in such cases,
and uisintegration of flesh may set
in later. 1t is also peculiar fact
in burning cases, which no one has
been able to satisfactorily explain,
that often, after the patient seems to
be getting along we'll, there will be
perforation of the duodenum, one of
the intestnes and death will result.
1t is a general rule that death will
follow the burning over third of
wv Dcett s' il''tb lIiV uS
there was little hope 10 Beans case
Practically the whole of the back of
the body, and especially the shoulder
blades, thighs, parts of tie legs,
arms and forearms, were burned and
the hands so badly SO, that the sur
face flesh sloughed Oft in one sheet
from the palm of one. One hand was
also considerably cut where be
pushed it through glass.
Within 10 minutes the injured
mar was wrapped in cotton bandsges,
with liberal application Of Carron OF
that is, linseed and lime water
During stbe evening he vas tsken
home, where he died about o'clock
in the morning. Brain trouble set in
between ) aud & lock and the
death was undoubt eddy due to
shock from the burning, aggravated, |
Of course, by his alarm.
The gas for the day had all been
made in the forenoon and the fire |
banked in the boiler on the north |
side. so there was no exceptional heat
to cause an explosion or blaze, and /
showed no leak
in the pipe anywhere. In
the afternoon naphtba was drawn
from a 5000 gallon tank car on the
spur track OF the railroad to the
receptacle which contains
3d. 600 gallons on the west side
Of the building. Superin-
tendent + NJ Smith assisted
Bean in connecting the pipe by which
the naphths was conveyed through
the building and at this time, l
q, fnlpply oil r,c,bt |
Bean was thoroughly acquainted with
before, and Mr. Smith lift him to
satch it, 1t required about an hour
md half to empty the tank car.
After this was done the tank was
sea ed all right as was found later,and
he pipe taken care of. But there is
'lways left little naphtha, enough
o partly fill a pail. that is rot car
led through. Bean, according to his !
tatement, secured this in the pail
md carried it to the naphtba recep- :
acle, where he poured it in, again
dosing that tightly. But a. he opened ,
he door to return he stepped right
nto fire. as he stated it. He h6d to
un through the room and tha fire to ,
ret out, with result as above stated. :
Frank Wright. in the employ Of the
ompsny, working on \ b Clapp's :
louise, happened at this tire to be
oming bacs for a piece of pipe, and
an into the room. He and LCcius .
adams who closely followed found Z
nut little fire, none on the door at
hat time, though it is considerably .
haired showing that it had been .
turning. All there was then was the
turning chair and basket and the !
wiring flame above the upright en-
inc. Bean stated while in possession
{ his senses that be was positive !
hat be had spilled no psphtha, but
t is evident that in some way there
'ss vapor 10 the room, which I
ither extreme heat or q light was neces
airy to ignite. The only theory that
GEMS adequately to account for it, is Z
hat he had been smoking. as he was
D the habit of doing, though not in !.
be building where it was against the I
ules, and that when he went with Z
he pail of naphtha he laid his pipe :
oxn on his chair where it started Z
laze that flashed up, through the
oom until the vapor was consumed.
lis pipe was found later outside the I
COR and if this theory-which is only :,
supposition Nth no actual evidence :
} found it ou-is correct, the pipe Z
lust have bsen thrown out with the
hair and basket, though no ore no
ICED it at the time. The danger of 4
u explosion was far less than tas
ublic imagined at the time. a fire :,
light be hot enough to explode ,
be naphtha in the 1900 gallon tank :
harAfxs ! =