Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-26

lawn, extinguished her burning v.v...---
Mrs. James p. Burns sustained injuries
that will probably lead to her death.
The Lawrence apartment house at AZ ST.
James park. in which the fire occurred.
was damaged to the extent of s35,000 and :
the Mayfair, adjoining, suffered lose-afs
$1,000 To this can be added personal
losses of 100000
The explosion of gasoline was the cause.
The explosion and fire occurred shortly
after 5 o'clock. The maid had taken q
skirt of Mrs Burns into the kitchen OF
the apartment to clean 1t with gasoline.
The girl went into the dining room and
returned with a candelabra containing six
wax candles, which she lighted and placed
on one corner of the table, A quantity VI
gasoline was poured from can into a
bowl almost under the lighted candles.
Miss Blades had cloth wrapped around
her hand which was saturated In gasoline
with which she was rubbing the skirt.
A moment after the lighted candles had
been placed on the kitchen table Mrs.
Burns had gone into, an adjoining apart
ment, and as she was passing through
| the doorway the explosion took place.
The vapor from the gasoline reached the
burning candles, the gasoline can ex-
ploded and the burning fluid was thrown
over the woman and the furniture.
Receives Full Force
| Mrs. Burns rushed into the room in
time to receive the force of the explosion
of the can of dangerous fluid and mo-
ment later the bowl containing half a
pint of oil blew up, scattering fire over
| her clothing.
| In an instant both women were wrapped
in flames. With agonizing screams they
rushed from the room.
| Mrs. Burns ran into the main hallway
| of the building. Captain II. G. Lawrence,
i Of hn lrc1 bor4
| down and rolled her in rug. Desper-
ately he battled with the woman.
| Charlotte Blades, the maid, rushed into
the dining room of the partment and
threw herself headlong from the open
window onto the lawn thirty feet below,
between the Lawrence and the residence
of E. T. Stimson, at S25 West Adams
street.
AS she fell she was caught by a man.
She was carried into the residence of
E. T. Stimson.
DR.. Hogan dressed her burns and she
was taken to the receiving hospital. where
her injuries were dressed by Drs. Quirt.
Bonynge, Tanner and Wiley, after which
she was removed to the California hos
pitaI.
Mrs. Burns was taken to the Mayfair,
where DR.. Martin attended her. There is
scarcely square inch of her body which
is not burned. She was removed in a Gar
rett ambulance to the California hospital.
where DR.. w. w. Hitchcock took the case
in charge.
DR. Hitchcock stated last night that the
condition of his patient was very grave
and that her life hung by thread.
Fire Spreads
From the blaze in the kitchen started
by the gasoline explosion the fire spread.
The Lawrence contains six apartments
of eight rooms each.
The building, which is a new one, was
erected but few months ago at an ex-
pense of more than $4,000. and the fur
nishings cost as much more.
The flames swept upward into the apart
ment on the floor above occupied by
Mrs Elizabeth III. Dunbar, widow of
former governor of Utah. Both flats were
gutted.
before the arrival of the apparatus.
even before the alarm had been given. j.
b. Mccarthy, who lives in the Mayfair,
had, seen the fire. Calling to his aid AL
bert Sherman. an elevator boy, ne took
down the auxiliary fire hose, and drag
ging 1t through an empty suite backing
cnto the Burns apartment began throw
ing a stream onto the blaze, which
spurted flames into his face. Plucldly
Mccarthy and Sherman stuck to their
self-appointed task, and 1t is probably
due to their efforts that the fire had not
gained greater headway when the regular
firemen appeared.
Special officers ]. s. Hendrickson and
j. F. Beans in the binding smoke pene-
trated every apartment and covered ex-
pensive furniture and hangings, salving
much which would have been damaged
by water
Considerable personal loss was also sus-
tanned by Frank Griffith, secretary Of
the Country club who occupied an apart
ment on the first floor OF the Lawrence;
Fred Perry, retired capitalist; w. S.
Collins owner of the Collins block, and
Mrs. Dunbar. Their aggregate losses will
probably add $4,000 to the total Of the
fire.
Capt H. c. Lawrence. owner Of the
building and its contents. carried insur
aace Of between $4,000 and $4,000 Mrs
D. Macon. proprietor Of the Mayfair. is
fully covered by insurance. 1t is stated.
-