The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-12-12
Seven italian LabOrers Suffer Frig
full Injuries When One Mistake.
Gasoline for Kerosene.
COOK USES FLUID TO REVIVE THE DYING f
Act Followed by Flash and Roar and Inmates of t
Little Shack Fly Screaming in Agony
From the Room.
Especial TO Lake County Times.)

Indiana Harbor. Dec. l2.-With their
clothing a mass of flames. shrieking
at the top OF their voices for helm.
seven Italians rushed from shack on
the Lake Shore shortly after o'clock
last night. dropping on the ground in
their agony. and receiving injuries
that caused the death of three Of the
number later at St Margarets hos
pital, Hammond.
THE DEAD.
Peter Sapitin, Ri years, Inborer.
Mike Sarrens, 30 years, Iaborer.
Andrew Gi1awOOd, AZ years, InbOrer.
THE INJURED.
DenaIno FOrta, 10 years, a Iaborer.
Sam LozicO, ~ years, Iaborer.
Mama TrOmOra, 40 years, IabOrer.
CrantO Ferreri, "a years, cook.
Work for Inland.
The men were all employees of the
Inland Steel company excepting Fer
reri, who was cook for the men. They
had built shack for themselves along
the shore and all lived therein.
Shortly after o'clock last night they
were sitting around a table eating
their supper when Fer~eri, wishing to
add more fuel to the fire, which was
elSse beside the table, threw on an
-SzIull of wood. and as he did so, he
poured some liquid which he thought
was kerosene, to make it burn faster.
Instead of kerosene Is was gasolene
and with an explosion which threw
the flames and burning wood all over
the rooms. the flaming liquid spread
over the men sitting at the table.
Ferreri was thrown across the room
and rendered unconscious. The room
was filled with smoke and with their
clothes afire and suffering frcm horri-
bic burns about the bace and body. the
men were unable to find the door in
the smoke and in that burning hole
they We're compelled to stay, running
about the room. fighting each other
for chance to reach the open air.
their cries and screams were heard for
some distance. Finally one Of the
number found the door, ard with their
hair and eyebrows singed, their flesh
burned off in places, they poured out
OF the narrow aperature more like
animals than living beings. They were
blinded by the smoke and flames. and
rushing hither and thither over the
sand to ease the awful agonies. thev
dropped here and there unconscious.
The wind from Lake Michigan famed
the flames which were burning their
from their bodies, and for a
time they We're human bonfres
number Of laborers who lived in sim
liar shaCks along the shore nearby ran
to the assistance of their stricken
and with their bare hands
beat out the flames.
AmburIancoa
Several calls We're at once sent to
the physicians at Indiana Harbor. and
Drs J. A Teegarden and George Orf.
responded. The injured were made as
comfortable as possible, lotions being
applied until conveyances could be
made ready for the carrying Of the
patients to st Marrgaret's hospital in
Hammond. AS there were not enough
ambulances, some of the patients were
placed in hacks and carriages and
brought over IN that way Several
Hammond physicians were called TO the
hospital and the men made as com
Portable as possible. Sapitin, sarrens
and Gilawood were the most seriously
burned of the seven. and after linger-
ing IN awful agony, died in a few hours.
The others are still in a dangerous
condition at the hospital, although #
Is thought that they VIII survive The
bodies Of the three were taken to
Teals undertaking rooms where they
will be held until relatives may be
found to bury them.