Amador ledger., 1907-08-09
A FATAL FIRE.
Mrs Eleanor Petty Fatally Burned
in the Destruction of Her Home.

Shortly after o'clock Friday even
ing the home of Eleanor Petty, an
aged spinster who went by the name
of Mrs Petty, was totally destroyed
by fire. with all its contents. In the
disaster Mrs Petty received burns
from which she died about II hours
after the confiagration. The destroy
ed premises we're situated on the
banks of jackson creek, just below
the junction of the north fork with
the main creek. The little home
consisted of three rooms, and was
owned by d. Mattley. Mrs Petty had
made 1t her home for the past twelve
years, She was living there alone
at the time of the calamity. With a
small sum allowed by the county and
few cents earned occasionally by
sewing or washing she managed to
exc out living.
How the fire occurred is a matter
of conjecture only. When the cry
of fire was raised the rear part of the
cottage was enveloped in flames. The
rear room, where the fire evidently
started was used as the bedroom.
Those first to the scene found the
front door barred. The fumes had
not yet entered that room. Of course
the barred door conveyed the idea
that the occupant was still in the
burning house. Constable Laverone
and II. e. Kay secured stout piece
of fire wood and used it as a batter
ing ram, and broke IN the front door.
1t was dark inside. Kay struck a
match, and there on the floor, a few
feet from the door lay Mrs Petty.
She was clad only in her night
dress, and was Insensible. The two
men had barely time to drag the
PROSTATE form outside, when the en-
tire front of the house was wrapped
IN flames. Nothing could be done
toward saving any of the contents.
and everything was reduced to ashes
in less than fifteen minutes from the
time the alarm was given.
An examination of Mrs Petty show
ed that she was burned about the
neck, also the chest and face. The
hair was burned from the back of her
head. Her burns were confined to
the upper portion of the body Her
night dress was but slightly burned.
Although much dis1gured, the super
fetal burns were not fatal. 1t was
the flames and gases she must have
inhaled that affected the vital organs,
and created approximations concerning
her recovery.
A few moments after her rescue
from the building, she asked DR..
Endicott who was in attendance, If
he thought she would get we'll. This
was the only connected sentence she
She was conveyed to the county
hospital as quickly as possible, and
everything was there done for her
relief, but without avail. She never
regained consciousness, more than to
ask for water. She died the next
about eight o'clock, twelve
hours after receiving the injuries.
The explanation of the sad affair
can only Ebe surmised from the Cir
cumstances. The fact that she was
undressed, and had barred the front
door shows that she had either retired
OF was preparing to retire for the
night. She was great reader, and
would often read for hours after 60
ing to bed. A coal oil lamp was the
source of light. 1t was evidently in
the sleeping room that the fire origin
ated. The only living things she had
about the premises were two dogs, and
a chicken hawk. The latter she had
found in a wounded condition and
was nursing it back to health. The
bird she kept in the back room-the
bedroom, and the CANNES were able
to move in and out of the premises at
pleasure, hole being left in the
front door for this expires purpose.
Whether either of these pets had
aught to do with the fatality can
never be known to certainty. The
hawk was found in the woodshed after
the fire, unframed. 1t might have
ESCAPED through an open window,
as deceased was accustomed to leave
one of the windows open at night dur
ing the hot weather. The generally
accepted theory is that the lamp
caught fire or exploded. 1t is not
probable that she was asleep at the
time. The hour was too early. That
she made determined effort to ex-
tlnguish the flames is more than pro-
bable. The burns on her hands aud
face, and the breathing of the fatal
gases sufficiently attest this. Unable
to stay the progress of the flames, she
endeavored to save herself. The way
through the back door was doubtless
cut OFT by the flames, and hence she
tried to leave by the front door.
70 do so she had to travel the full
length of the building, probably
thirty feet. Her strength failed be-
fore she got to the door. All her
injuries had been received before she
fell, except perhaps bruise on the
forehead that might have been made
when her rescuers Stumhled in tho