The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-15
WOMAN BURNED
TO DEATH BY
EXPLOSION
Terrible Accident to Mrs.
Dallas kOhIer,
J. E. HOWARD A HERO
ReScueS Man From Fire and
Attempts
TO SAVE HIS WIFE
Flesh Came From Body With
the Clothing.
TO SAVE HIS WIFE

Mrs. Dallas Kohler was burned 70 death
at be: home 252 Waco avenue yesterday
morning about $50. Her husband was
filing lamp and she vas standing beside
him. wien the lamp exploded They were
filing the lamp while It was stiil lighted
and II was learned yesterday that through
& mistake it was being filled with gaso-
line instead OF coal oil and that the gas
from the gasoline caused the explosion.
The lamp was sitting on . table snn0st
81 the center Of the room when it blew
I'D. The woman was Immediately en-
veloped in flames. Her husband ru-Eed 80
put cut The flames, when he. zoo. caught
FIRE. and in attempting 10 put OUT the
blaze on his vie, bis hands were badly
burned. The terrible heat OF the burn
ing gasoline and clothes. drove him away
from his wife and ne rushed out into thr
yard where Mr. J. Z Howard caught him
and put out the blaze and then Mr.. How
ard dragged the woman from the room
and smothered the blaze with a blanket
dis right hand was badly burned IN TAX
Ing the woman from the room.
Mr. Kohler yesterday told reporter
for the Eagle the following story of the
fire;
Just after We got up the light began
i was rather dark. so l did not put out
the lamp before filing Il ss I had often
filed 1t when II vas still burning. 7 was
pouring the oil into the lamp. NJ wife
was standing right at the side Of me
when suddenly Il exploded and the first
thing I knew my wife was all in flames
] tried 70 put II out, but the heat drove
me away and that IS all I know about
H."
Mrs Kohler was burned 10 & crisp
almost over, her entire body. Bu- the
soles Ct her feet and a small space across
the hips were all that was not burned u
a blister. All but a very small space on
the top Of her head was burned ana her
hair was almost all burned away.
when Mr.. Howard ran 10 bring her
from the room. he seized her Of the arm
and IN trying 10 pun her out Of the room
the skin came of, leaving but a mass II
chsrrcd flesh in mis- hand. He was not
dismayed. however for selling a nat that
lay on the floor he threw it over her and
pulled her from he room. al the time
calling for a blanket and as he placed the
woman on the ground. n threw the
blanket over her ard somthered the
flames. The fire department had o. TINS
tire arrived and they took care II the
burning building. while the woman was
removed 10 the home of q neighbcr
Men were sent after Il doctor. bur they
were & long time coming 10 the woman
aid. Finally Mr.. Eohler was removed %
the Wichita hospital and 4 few moments
after the ambulance came. Mrs. kohler
was taken there also. Every move the
poor woman made took away some Of
her skin and flesh. The staple moving Of
her body and the rocking Of the wagon
tore ri her flesh wherever her clothing
or the blankets touched her person.
here was hardly a space on her entire
BODY as large as o saucer that the skin
remained AS her clothing was removed
NJ the hospital the skin came OF with
H. Hsr hands ware scTaped almost enc
tirelv OF flesh down 10 the bone She
was handled as carefully as possible by
the physicians and nurses. bat every time
anyone touched her. a piece of the flesh
,voGld stick 10 their fingers
Miss josephine Eohler who lives 81 the
same house. thus describes the scene OF
the vomans burning
u was in the kitchen when 7 heard the
explosion and then a scream. I rushed
into The room and there was Dallas try
Ing a. get out of the room ard he vas