The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-23
IN BLAZING GASOLINE
THREE sTEINBERG CHILDREN
WERE ENvELOPED.
MATCH DROPPED IN CAN
CAUSED EXPLOSION THAT NEARLY
BURNED THEM TO DEATH.

Planes Filled the Room in which
the Children Were Playing and
Set Fire 10 Their CIothIng-HerOic
Conduct of Richard Steinberg, the
9-Year-oId Lad Who started the
Fire, saved His Sisters Lives and
the House From Burning-With
His Feet burned Bare He Ran
Across n Square and Called for
FIremen and Help.
Three children burned, a remarkable
display of nerve by one of them. and
a room in the house of Mr.. Luke Stein
berg. No. 407 Charlton street. badly
damaged by fire, are the results of
lighted match dropped into a can of
gasoline about 2:30 o'clock yesterday
afternoon. The injured are:
Lilliard Steinberg, aged IL, burned
about the arm.
Richard, aged 9, feet literally cooked,
and bad burns about the upper body.
Lena, aged 8, burned about the head
and face.
The children were in a room on the
top floor of the house, and for some
reason not known the boy Richard, lit
a small gasoline stove used at times
for cooking purposes. Nearby was the
supply can of the infiammable fluid
and in this after lighting the stove,
the little fellow dropped the still burn
ing match. The consequence was an
explosion that filled the room with a
sheet of flame and set the chlldren's
clothing on fire.
EnVeIOped In Flames.
The boy was enshrouded in flames,
especially about the feet. Not for an
instant did he seem to lose his pres
ence of mind, and, with no thought OF
self, conscious only that the home was
on fire. he ran down stairs, across
Troup Square to the drug store on
Liberty street and asked that an alarm
of fire be sent in. He. was taken care
of at the drug store and carried to
the home where in a few moments the
chemical engine arrived and %nade
short work of the flames. 1t is stated
| by one who saw the boy when he ar
rived at the drug store that his feet
were literally cooked and in some
the cracked skin.
The other children had by this time
been helped, principally by their moth
| err who, strange to say, was not burn
| ed herself, although she fell head fore
most into the flames
The Burned Children.
The alarm was sent to the central
station by telephone and the chemical
| responded promptly. The work of
putting out the blaze was quickly fin
| ished, and attention turned to- the
| burned children. The Red Cross box
| was requisitioned, and with considera-
| bic skill the injuries of the children
were dressed. Drs. Reid, Norton and
| White were called in and completed
the bandaging, but the first aid was
given by the firemen. 49,
At the Steinberg home last night 1t
was stated that ii was not thought the
/ burns were dangerous, but they are
severe and the two eldest children will
| be in bed for some time. The youngest
| escaped lightest, her burns being all
together about the head and face All
| three We're reported as doing we'll and
resting as well as the severe nature
of their injuries would permit.
The damage to the house was con-
fined altogether to the room in which
the explosion occurred. The mating
| was burned, the furniture somewhat
scorched and the woodwork damaged.
Mrs. Steinberg paid a high compli-
ment to the fire department, the police
and to the physicians, all of whom were
| kind and efficient