The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-01-21

EnveiOped in Flames While Drawing q
 Kerosene In the Basement-Her Hus-
 band Badly Burned While Extin-
 gushing the Blaze Other Fires Yester-
 day Woman Nenrly suffo-
 Cated om Oak Street.
 Mrs. D. F. Norton of No. 45 Bishop street, was very severely and possibly fatally burned at her home about 4:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon and now lies al the New Haven hospital in a very critical condition Mrs. Norton had gone into the basement to draw some kerosene from large can there, and while she was thus engaged her husband, who was in the house, heard her scream. He hastened to the base ment and there found Mrs. Norton en- veloped in flames. MT. Norton manag- ed to smother the flames, but not be- fore his wife had been terribly burned about the upper part of the body. Drs. Marvin Smith and Frank w, Wright were hastily summoned and directed that. the unfortunate lady be at once re- moved to the hospital She was taken to the New Haven hospital, where last night her recovery was considered ex tremely doubtful. In extingu shing the flames which enveloped his wife MT. Norton was severely burned about the hands and arms.
 It is thought that as Mrs Norton was drawing the kerosene from the large can she lit match to see how nearly full the vessel was into which she was drawing the oil, and that in this way the kerosene became ignited A still alarm of fire was sent to No, S's engine house and the chemical engine respond- ed, but there was no need of it. Mir Norton was at home and was quite bad ly burned and the hands and face while smothering the flames.
 Mrs. Norton is woman about fifty six years of age and is very devout member of Hope Baptist church. She has host of friends who will be shock ed to hear of her terrible accident.
 An alarm was rung from box No. IS, at the corner of Broad and Oak streets, about 2:45 yesterday afternoon for a fire on the second floor of the building at No. 79 Oak street, The lower floor of the building is occupied as junk tNitNA second floor live two families, those of Samuel Lapides and August Pogeway.
 The fire originated in the apartments of the Pogeways and is thought to have been caused by some clothes catching fire in a closet. Policeman Cooney was on duty in the vicinity and some peo- pie ran to him yelling that there was a woman in the house and that she was uit Ixp Cn0naU ran into the house and in one of the rooms upstairs found Mrs. Pogeway, apparently dazed and tightly clinging to chair. She was greatly affected by the thick smoke which filed the room Cooney picked her up and carried her down to the street, and there she broke away from him and ran back into the building. Cooney followed her and car r ried her to the street again When asked why she persisted in returning to the building she said that her money was there. She soon revived from the effects of the smoke. The house was only slightly damaged by the fire.
 The alarm rung at 5;29 last evening from box No. 533 at the corner of Or ange and Gamer streets, was false alarm. A passer-b by saw heavy smoke coming from the house of MT. Wood bridge, at No.> 815 Orange street, and thought that the place was on fire. An investigation showed that the only fire was in the furnace.
 A small blaze occurred about 5:30 last evening at No. 14S Putnam street, and although the flames secured a good start, they were eXtinguished y'occu- pants of the house without calling for ba Vhe ie l. Mrs, John McGrath and occupied by George A. Hewlett and family. The blaze was caused by some curtains catching fire from a gas jet The cur tains the window casing and an easy chair were burned, and the damage will probably amount to about $50.