Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-07-01
death CLAIMS TWO SISTERS.
Daughters Of Mr. and Mrs. John Curran of Everett Wash
Meet Shocking Death by the Explosion Of Chafng Dish.

Mrs. DIR. Belts, her sister, Frances
| Curran and Miss Jessie Broadbent,
were fearfully burned at 3:45, today,
| Thursday June 26th.l at Mrs. Belts
home, on Rucker Ave, near California.
| They were using a chatting dish. 1t
is said to have exploded, throwing
burning alcohol over them. Mrs. Belts,
with clothing in flames, ran into the
! Wharton home, next door. Mrs Nhsi-
ton threw rugs around her and eytin-
guished the flames.
| Mrs Belts and Miss Curran are IN a
serious condition. Their faces may be
SCARED for life.
The clothing of the two women was
burned almost entirely off. There was
great excitement in the neighborhoOd.
| Crying women stood about the house
| for an hour A half dozen doctors
were called.
Mrs. Belts is bride of week.
Deputy postmaster Edwards, who
was passing, rushed in to help the
women. His hands were painfully
scorched.
MAY BE FATAL.
1t was later reported that Mrs. Belts
may be fatally burned.-Everett Nash
ington) Evening Record.
The sad news reached this city yes
terday. Mrs. Belts and MISS Frances
Curran are daughters of Mr.. and Mrs.
John Curran .formerely of Rhinelander,
the former being Pearl Curran and who
was married to Dr. Belts one week
previously, and the young ladies are
very well known in Wausau having
visited relatives here on many occasions.
Miss Belts was a student in one OF our
schools for one year.
LATER
James McCrossen received a letter
this morning from Mrs. McCrossen.
who is at Everett, giving an account OF
the terrible accident, and stated that
the young ladies were engaged in max
ing candy. Mrs Belts and Miss Frances
Curran both died on the same day OF
the accident Their mother, accom-
panied by her daughter, Miss Muriel,
was in Tacoma and could not reach
home in time to see her daughters alive.
DR.. Tom Curran was at the Hot
Springs The funeral took place on
Saturday, June 28th.
The shock to the relatives and friends
of the two sisters and of the family, in
this c, V is beyond expression, and to-
day it Is talked of by everybody and IN
tense sorrow is shown on every hand,
MIR. and Mrs Curran are among the
oldest inhabitants of the valley and
known, personally, and by name, to
nearly all of our citizens, and the SYM
pathy of all go out to them in this
their great bereavement.
The following article in reference to
the shocking accident is taken from the
Friday evening, June 9th, Everett
Record
Mrs. C. A. Belts and sister, Miss
| Francis Curran, the victims of the
chafing dish explosion, are dead. Miss
| Curran died at 8 and Mrs Belts at IL As
last night. They were conscious until
| death reliev ed them. Their last hours
were soothed by drugs. Otherwise
their sufferings would have been terri
| BILE.
The deaths were due to shock. 1t is
not believed that they inhaled flames.
Mrs Belts died at her own home,
and Miss Curran at the home of her
parents, where they were removed
soon after the accident.
DIR. Belts is completely Frustrated
He was at his brides bedside when she
died. Her father was also present.
The dying woman recognized both OF
them, and did not seem to be in great
agony.
The victims were daughters of Mr.
| and Mrs John G. Curran, who live in
| beautiful home al 2425 Rucker. They
came Ia Everett from Rhinelander, Wis.
about fifteen months ago. Mr. Curran
was formerly lumberman and is
considered rich man. He has been
investing heavily in Everett real estate.
He owns the rows ofcottages on Rucker
| just north of California, in one of which
the explosion took place.
When Mrs. Belts rushed into Mrs
WhaIton's kitchen, with her entire
body enveloped in flames, Mrs. Whar-
ton and a lady caller, endeavored to
extinguish the flames with rugs and
sofa pillows. They partly succeeded,
but portions of the clothing were sat
urated with alcohol and continued to
burn in spite of their efforts.
Irving l.. Lloyde, who lives opposite
the Belts home, was the first man to
the rescue OF Mrs. Belts. He was at
tracted by the screams of his little
daughter, who say Mrs. Belts running
towards the Wharton home with her
hair in flames.
When he reached the Wharton home
Il ~.
door. She was enveloped in flames.
The whole doorway seemed to be a
mass of fire. Lloyde grabbed her and
| muffled her in his coat. He beat the
fire out with his hands. His left wrist
is badly burned.
He had no idea that Frances was
| burning in the other house. Mrs
Belts screamedi
"Francis Francis Go for Francisl"
MIR. Lloyde, being unacquainted with
the family, thought she referred to her
| husband, and tried to Soothe her by say
ing he would come soon. She cried for
| her sister time and again, but it
was several minutes before the child
was found, burning to death alone
A little child tried to make the exeit-
ed crowd of women and children I'M
derstand that another woman was
burning in the Belts residence, but no
one paid any attention to him.
Frances showed real presence of
mind She threw herself in the bed
and attempted to smother the flames.
But her clothing was saturated with
alcohol She was perhaps fatally burn
ed before she reached the bed, so rapid
| were the flames in their work.
Pieces of Mrs Belts flesh still adhere
to Lloyd's coat Portions of her body
were burned 10 a crisp. In fact. her
feet, we're protected by the shoes, were
the only parts not touched by the flames.
The room wac so full of smoke when
| | arrived to the assistance of Mr. Lloyde