The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-18
SHOOK The WALLS
Terrific Explosion of Gas at
Postoffice.
Miss Josephine Heron and Miss
Carrie Sheffield Hurt.
OCCURRED IN VAULT
Young Women We're After Days
Stamp Supplies.
Striking of a Match Caused the
Explosion.
Miss Herron's Injuries Are Very
Severe.
OCCURRED IN VAULT

BY the ignition of Illuminating gas
which had escaped in the stamp vault
at the pcstoffice, Miss Josephine Her
ron, stamp clerk, and Miss Carrie Shelf
field, substitute clerk. We're very badly
burned this morning at about o'clock
Miss Herron's burns are serious and
may prove fatal They cover her head,
face, arms, neck and upper portion of
her body The doctors think, however,
that she will recover. Miss Heron was
dressed in light and infiammable ma
terial. which took fire. developed in
flame she ran screaming into the post
masters private Office, which adjoins
the vault. No one was in the Office.
She was blinded by The flames. and fell
to the floor. Archie J. Kellam, chief
mailing clerk, rushed into the room,
and assisted by a stranger who hap
pened to be in the lobby of the Office,
extinguished the flames by wrapping
rugs around the unfortunate woman
All her outer clothing was burned off.
Miss Shedields injuries are not so Sc
rious. She was dressed in a heavy
woollen dress with a stiff velvet collar,
which saved her from injury, except her
head and hands. Her face and hands
were burned to a blister. and most of
the hair on the front part of her head
was burned off.
HOW IT HAPPENED
At o'clock this morning Miss Heron
and Miss Sheffield went to open the
stamp vault to get out their supplies
for the day This vault is at the north
end of a newly constructed corridor
opening out of the east end of the pub
lie lobby. Miss Heron opened the COM
bination lock and then turned the key
in the inner doors of the vault AS she
pulled the doors open Miss Sheffield
stepped inside the vault and climbed up
on a little stepladder to light the gas
jet in the vault. When she lit the
match the explosion took place.
Miss Heron. who was standing in the
doorway Of the vault received the full
force of the explosion
The explosion made a tremendous
noise and shook the building. Some of
the mail carriers working in the room
which opens off the corridor on the west,
saw books and papers blown past the
door by the force of the ignited gas.
Miss Heron rushed down the corridor,
her clothes ablaze, and Miss Sheffield
with her hands to her face, staggered
into the room where the carriers were at
work
The only explanation for the presence
OF the gas in the vault is that in turning
out the gas last night, the shut-off key
was partially turned back, allowing
the gas to escape all night. The key
worked very loosely in its socket There
is an air vent near the top of the vault,
and probably great deal of the escap-
ing gas found exit from the vault
through this.
If this had not been the case, it is
impossible to tell what the effect Of the
explosion would have been It might
have wrecked the building AS it was
the record books in the vault were
badly burned but no stamps We're de-
stroyed. Many thousands of dollars
worth of stamps are stored in the vault
Miss Heron was able to talk after
the accident, though she was so ner-
vous that her words were hardly intel
ligible.
DETECTED THE DOOR OF GAS.
We smelled the gas" she said. but
we thought there was only little oh,
how foolish we Werei We might have
known better. This ought to be a warn
ing to the other girls suppose it
serves US right"
Miss Heron was in the n ost intense
pain, and was taken in the ambulance
to her home. POI Topeka avenue.
Miss Sheffield also stated that she and
Miss Heron detected the odor of gas
when they were in the corridor unlock
ing the vault, but that they did not
know where the gas came from. and did
not think that there was very much of
it, Miss Sheffield lives at sO4 East
Eighth avenue. and she was taken to
her home in a carriage.
DR.. c. f. Menninger dressed the
wounds of the two women while they
were al the postoffice.
Miss Heron is one of the Oldest en-
ployes at the postoffice. She held her
position of stamp clerk about a year be-
fore Frank Thomas was postmaster
During Mr.. Thomas administration she
was let out. and when A. J. Arnold be-
came postmaster she was reinstated. She
has held her position ever since Miss
Sheffield has been a substitute clerk at
the postoffice for about three years. She
usually works in the bookkeeping de-
partment, but her work is arranged to
suit whatever emergency arises
GOVERNMENT WILL DO NOTHING
There is little prospect that the United
States government will do anything for
the relief cF Miss Josephine Heron and
Miss Carrie Sheffield the two employees
who were hurt this morning by the ex-
OF gas n 6a crar of =
post office.
The government can not be sued for
damages. 50 whatever it does it must
do simply through kindness. Postmaster
Guthrie said today that he would urge
very strongly that the department give
the injured women leave of absence
on full pay
L think they may do this in the case
of Miss Heron, because she is an old
employee said Judge Guthrie "but /
don't know whether they will do any
thing for Miss Sheffield as she was only
a substitute"
It'seems as though this great ana glor-
ious government ought to be able to take
care of its employees who are injured in
the line of their duty There is no doubt
that if the postoffiee We're private cor
poration. it would have a big damage
suit on its hands.
Miss Kate Ellinger. a substitute clerk
is doing Miss Herron's work during her
absence and Assistant Postmaster Rod
gers is assisting in the money order de-
partment.
Mr.. FOSTER NAY BE RECALLED
II. L. Foster. bOokkeeper at the post
Office. left Friday afternoon for a two
weeks vacation He went with his fam
lily tc a place south of Tecumseh, where
he expected to camp out and rusticate
for a fortnight
1t is likely that the accident at the
postohice today Will necessitate his inn
mediate recall Miss Sheffield was the
only substitute who understood the work
Of Mr.. Fosters department.