The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-17
KEROSENE EXPLOSION
RESULTS FATALLY
Mrs. Louis Sweringer Is
Terribly Injured
WHILE KINDLING FlRt
Hands Were Burned Until
Nails Dropped Off,

Mr. Louise Sweringer was fatally burn
ed at her home, 231o Jewett avenue yes
terday morning by the exploding Of a
half gallon can of kerosene with which
she was attempting to start a fire in a
small stove. She had already kindled
n slight blaze but the vel did not catch
quite as quickly as she expected Think
ing TO hurry matters she raised the can
containing kerosene and attempted TO
pour some of the liquid on the burning
fuel An explosion occurred which was
heard for blocks around.
The shock of the explosion threw the
can to the further side of the room. while
the burning oil quickly eveloped Mrs.
Sweinger in flames. There being no one
at home besides herself at the time she
rushed to the door and shouted for help.
Neighbors who heard her cries rushed TO
the scene and soon succeeded IN eN-
tinguishing the flames Not before Mrs.
Sweinger was terribly burned about the
face and body and hands, however.
The flames had burned the woman so
terribly that a short time after they were
extinguished several Of her finger nails
fell off. She begged piteously Of the
nelghbors to take an axe and kill me.
Wont somebody relieve me from this suf-
fering?"
An ambulance was quickly called and
the woman was taken to the St Francis
hospital. At a late hour iast night she
was reported as still being alive and it
RI
morning. The attending physicians. how
ever. have no hopes for her recovery.
that being impossible owing to the terri
BILE manner in which she was burned.
Those who were on the scene first de
scribe a pitiful picture OF how the UNI
fortunate woman caught fire and how
she struggled for life. Mrs. Furnish. who
was the first person to the rescue of Mrs.
Sweringer, said:
A little boy, who happened to be out
in the yard playing. came to my win
dow and said that he saw some smoke
in Sweringer's house and 1 Immediately
looked out and TO my establishment clouds
OF smoke were rolling out of the windows
OF the house. l ran over there and start
ed TO enter the back way when to my
ElSnL appeared Inc form Oh MIS-. SVEN
ger all abIaze. She was then on the
kitchen portch with her clothes nearly
burned off of her, her hair burned close
TO her head, and screaming for someone
20 come TO her assistance As soon as
she recognized me she called me by name
and said: oh, my God. take an axe and
Kill me. Quick. quick. l am in such
misery AS quick as / could I spTang to
her and jerked the few remaining arti
cles Of flaming clothing from her body
and took my own skirt off and wrapped
around her I then sent man who was
passing by for q doctor and an ambulance.
She kept on begging to be killed. 1t was
q horrible scene and l viii never for
get her looks.
There was no damage done TO the house
and nothing was burned with the excep-
tion Of some bed clothes. Those who
were on the scene first rushed in and
extinguished the flames and saved the.
house.
Mrs. Sweringer is the wife Of Louis
sweringer, an employee of the Cudahy
Packing plant. She is only twenty years
OF age and had been married but two
years.