The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-07-11
WAS TERRIBLY HURT
Mrs. ]. C. Wilson Meets Awful
Injuries by the Explosion Of
an Automobile Tank
SKULL BADLY FRACTURED
Condition of Mrs. Wilson Shows Inn
provement and Physicians Are
Hopeful for Her Recovery
Husband Not Injured

Mrs. Carrie Wilson, wife of j. c.
Wilson, a we'll known emp1oye of the
Simmons Manufacturing company,
met with a terrible accident at her
home on Park avenue just before five
O'Clock Saturday evening when the
explosion of an automobile gasoline
tank resulted IN portion of the left
side of her face being torn away and
her skull being badly fractured. She
is now at the Kenosha Hospital and
her condition is such that the physi-
clans in attendance are hopeful of her
recovery. The accident resulted in
the skull being fractured in several
places just over the left eye and the
orbit Of the eye was broken and torn
but the physicians believe that there
is no danger of her losing her sight.
The accident was one of the most
unusual ones ever known in Kenosha
and as Mr.. and Mrs. Wilson ARE both
widely known in the citys it caused
great excitement. Mr.. Wilson had
been working with his automobile on
Saturday afternoon and had just COM
pleted the making of a new casting
for the gasoline tank. The tank had
not been used since last winter and
he took it out of the barn and placed
it on the back porch of his residence
and prepared to solder on the casting.
Mrs. Wilson and Mr.. Wilson's father
we're standing on the porch watching
the work and Mrs. Wilson had volun.
teered to hold the tank while her hus-
band did the work. AS the tank kad
not been used for months it was sup
posed that it did not gcontain any
gasoline or gasoline vapor. Wilson
had just started theswork ofSsoldering
the casting to the copper tank when
the explosion took place. 1t was ac-
companied by report which was
heard all over the south portion of the
city. The head of the tank was
blown out and torn to pieces and
large piece of the metal flew directly
into the face OF Mrs. Wilson
People hearing the explosion
rushed to the Wilson home and found
Mrs. Wilson with her face covered
with blood but still conscious. She
showed great fortitude arld,aided her
husband to battle the blood from her
face. A call was sent for an ambu-
lance, but in the meantime an auto
mobile was secured and Mrs. Wilson
was taken with all possible speed to
the Kenosha Hospital. At the time
it was thought that her injuries con
sisted only in flesh wounds, She was
taken directly to the operating room
and Doctors C1eary, Eastman and
Bacon made an investigation of her
wounds which revealed the fact that
the skull had been fractured in at
least two places. 1t was deemed nee
essary to remove portion of the
skull at once to prevent pressure on
the brain, and the physicians pro-
ceeded to take out two small portions
of the bone.
Mrs. Wilson showed remarka bic
nerve after the accident, walking
from the automobile into the hospital.
and up the steps to the operating
room. She was on the operating
table for more than three hours. but
she came out of the anasthetic strong
and on Sunday morning she seemed
to be perfectly rational.
The doctors are convinced that
they will be able to save her sight in
the left eye, and while her injuries
are very serious there are manv SINH.
lar cases known to medical science
IN which the patients have recovered.
It IS feared that the face OF the lady
will be badly disfgured by the wound.
Mr.. Wilson and his father, who we're
standing directly over the tank. es.
capped without any injury, and It
seems that the entire force of the ex.
plosion carried the piece of metal
which struck Mrs. Wilson.
A great crowd gathered at the house
immediately after the explosion and
an alarm Of fire was turned in. How
ever, there was no call for the serv-
ices of the fremen as the explosion
did not result in any blaze. Mr.. viii
son was almost crazed as result of
the accident, and he remained at the
hospital with his wife during the en-
tire night.
Automobile men are in doubt as to
the cause OF the sad accident but 1t is
generally believed that there was
small amount of gasoline in the tank
which, when mingled with the air.
produced the explosion with such
dire results.
James Vail, head salesman for the
Simmons Manufacturing company,
spent Sunday with Kenosha friends.