The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-15

81 on FIRE There vas Lille kneellng on
the fcor; Il seemed 70 me as II she were
praying. with her hands hold upward and
her face turned toward q SKY. Dallas
by this time had gone through another
door and outside. and 7 rushed forward
and opened thc outside door. Then some
one came in and asked for q blanke- and
picked Up Lille and carried her outside.
don't know why ] did IT, but Il seemed
as Il something was just dragging ne on
and 7 did not seem 70 realize that some
one had called for blanket. but 7 went
into the bed room and got one and car
ried Il outside"
Miss Matte Kohler also rushed into the
room. when she heard the explosion and
yesterday she said to a reporter: i was
SO terrified by the sight Of that woman
kneeling there en- The floor thar I could DO
nothing hut stand there and look Al her
/ saw Dallas run 10 one door and try 10
open~it Al 7 could do was TO stand there
and look until some one called for q
blanket and then seemed 10 come 70
ny senses and I saw a man carrying
Lille orr side There she was. kneeling
on the floor with her hands raised and
her head thrown back. she did not utter
a word 70 any one or scream or 10 any
thing but just kneel there. and the IRE
was all around her
The home Of the Kohler's is a one
story fvs-rccm house. near the corner OF
Second street and waco avenue. There
is a door leading 70 the porch from a
room 10 the north and there Is also a door
opening to the west. The room TO the
north Of the house is where the vo-nen
was Ancehag on ire foor. The room d.
rectly back ~ This is where the explosion
occurred. Mrs Kohier ran into the sit
ting roon and it. IS supposed she fell and
was trying 10 raise. This accounts FOR
her kneelinC posture. Dallas Kohler as
sisted her icto the west room and there
the heat drove him away and h. made
frantic efforts 10 set the door opening
10 the south oDen. 70 allow him TO get
outside. This door was locked and he
did not turn the key. he rushed into
room south Of the one IN which his wife
was n ana then ont through the west
door and into the arms Of Jerry Howard.
Mr. Howard thus described the occur
renee.
II was walking down the west side OF
the street and had just passed the house
when I heard something. don't know
WHAT Il was ard I looked around AMI saw
the flames through the window I yelled
fire and ran across the street and just as
I got 10 the gate the man ran out q the
door. He was 81 ablaza and I yelled 70
him 10 lay down and roll over. The man
was nearly frantic and he rolled over two
OF three times and then Jumped uD and
ran 70 the door. then GRABBED him and
threw him down and scraped the fra OUT
with my hands. His clothing was only
blazing on che surface 50 II was easy 70
pUt ont The fire. When he got Up he said
something about MS wife and I turned
and booked into the room and there was
"a woman on her hands and knees on the.
floor and the fire blazing fercely around
her. 1t was an awful sight that woman
ar- 4 II
but the screen was locked. I took hold Of
IL and jarked IL open. / ran 10 the side Of
the woman and took her arm AMI was
going T. lead her outside whea ths skin
and flesh came off in my hand. That was
something awful. ( picked up O piece Of
mating and threw il over the woman ana
then picked her MO and dragged and car
rieG her outside aud laid her On the the
ground. -A,l this time 7 was calling for
blanket and about the time / got the
woman on the ground some one handed
me a blanket and ! threw il over her and
soon had the IKE eVtingUished. Then T
went home. as q neighbnr said they could
take the woman 70 her house and my arm
was aching badly
Chief walden was on hard with his fire
boys and as soon rs he heard Of the wo-
mans injury sent his goa and man
flying down the street % get a doctor.
ID ne man "aS gone l-l-= dAil-le c-l"fe ne
was able % ind a doctor that would 60
- then the ambulance had arrived and
WIS ready 10 take her % the hospital.
Mrs Kohler tried 20 talk some. while she
was ID rhe 1ef-thors home. but no enc
could understand her. What they did un-
derstand was that she inquired for her
husband once or twice 5ut she cid not
complain ~ any pain. and in fact the
doctors stated last niEht that she had no
CONTINUED on seveu,n parA