The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-09-26
Mrs. Albert Voklar and Her Three
Children Found Unconscious in
Their Home by Neighbors.
BABY OF SIX Weeks DIES FROM THE EFFECTS
Deadly Fluid Escapes From Cooking Stove-Neigh-
bors Rush to Assistance and Work Hard
to Save Lives Of Family

Four members of the family of AL
bert Voklar, living at 142 Doty street,
We're overcome by escaping gas from a
cook stove this morning. The young
est Of the three children, infant
six weeks old, is dead. The others
will survive.
The catastrophe was discovered by
Mrs. j. II. Spafrord, a neighbor living
next door. Mrs. spafford having oc-
casion to call at the Voklar home. did
so in the customary manner with
neighbors, by the back door. This was
at IL a. m.
After knocking on the door several
times and getting no answer, Mrs.
Spafford turned the knob and entered.
She was horrified by the sight of Mrs.
Volzlar and her children insensible in
the kitchen. the mother and two of the
children lying on the floor. the young
est in a cab. 1t was the latter who
died.
The room was filled with gas when
Mrs Spafford entered She quickly
opened the doors and windows to ven
tllate the house, and hurrying to a
neigrbors she summoned DR.. VIM.
D. weis by telephone. The latter was
I'm his cffice at the time and drove
hastily to the house.
When DR.. Weis arrived at the house
1t was filled with sympathetic women
of the neighborhood, who were using
the customary means of restoration
rubbing Seeing that the other mem-
hers of the stricken family were not in
great danger. DR.. Weis devoted his
energies to saving the youngest child,
but his efforts were unavailing. He
worked for half an hour on the limp
body, only desisting after life was
extinct.
At 1 p. m. Mrs. Voklar and the two
children were partly restored and in
a semi i-conseiocs condition. They were
suffering intensely and occasionally
vomiting. Four, and sometimes five
neighborhood women were rubbing
Mrs. Voklar. ana the same number
working on the oldest child. Mildred.
three years of age. The younger child
wilbert, two years of age. was in less
danger and only needed partial at
tention. Mrs Voklar was lying on the
floor Mildred on a cot. and Wilbert
on a bed.
The dead infant was six weeks cid
and was unnamed
DR. Weis is confident that Mrs. Vok-
lar and her two remaining children
Will survive. but will be sickened after
consciousness is restored. The ordea!
is the restoration. Death from gas is
the most painless death. but restola-
ZION is accompanied by intense suffer
ing Pains grip the chest and tear
and rend 1t cXcruciatingly.
The room was filled with gas when
Mrs Spafford entered. Mrs. Voklar
was lying on the floor near the kitch-
en- sink. with one child beside her. An
other child was lying on the floor near
by, and the third child. the infant
who was dead, was in a baby cab.
Tho escaping gas, Illuminating gas,
came from a cook stove. which neigh
bors say Mrs. Voklar had previously
complained OF as defective. The de-
feet was in burner which flGred
when lit.
The only theory DR.. Weis could give
regarding the escaping gas without
Mrs. Voklar detecting it, was that Mrs.
voKIar was washing at the time, and
that the steam so absorbed or neu-
tralized the gas that 1t was not read
lily noticed.
Mrs Voklar is pretty woman
slight Of build. and % years of age
She recently moved here with her hus-
band from Minhigan City. Her hus-
band. a car builder employed at the
Western Car and Foundry company's
works at Burnham, was summoned by
phone, also by messenger, after the
excitement in the neighborhoods had
partly subsided. but had not arrived al
! p. m.
Mrs. Miller, sister OF Mrs. voklaI
lives in Hammond. while likewise
summoned, arriving in time to be OF
assistance.
How long Mrs. Voklar and her chill
.dren were overcome by gas before
Mrs. Spafford's opportune discovery. i.
conjectural, but probably an hour