Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-27
WOMAN IS NEARLY
BURNED TO DEATH
Mistakes Gasoline for Coal Oil
And Pours it on the
Fire.
A BIG EXPLOSION RESULTS,
Blazing Liquid Thrown All Over Vic
tim. InfIcting Terrible Injurics--
y. ". Collins Fights Flame.

Covered from head to feet with aw-
ful burns, Miss Hattie Grifiths.
Church street, lies dangerously injured
at the Holy Cross hopital. She is a
victim of the old mistake OF thirking
gasoline, coal oil and If she survives
her terrible ordeal 1t viii be due to
the presence Of mind of j. NJ Collins
and her brother, ID. NJ. Griffiths. Miss
Griniths, who Is 80 years old. was
building a FIRE in the Kitchen stove this
morning shortly after o'clock ard
to hasten matters. picked up what she
thought can OF coal oil and opening
the stove, poured the liquid on the
flame. There was a terrible explosion.
followed by screams.
Miss Griffith ran outside. A. neigh
Dor. Mrs. j. NJ Collins, who lives Mt
the south end of Church street, be-
tween Third and Fourth South and
Main and State streets, saw the girl
covered with flames. She called 10
her husband who was washing, and
leaping over high fence between his
the girl in few seconds. He started
pulling off the girls blazing clothing.
She was fully dressed and her outer
garments famed in the air, burned
iiercely Her dress wa torn from her
body quickly by Mr.. Collins, but be-
fore he could get her under clothing
off, her breast, arms and back were
burned frightfully, The flesh coming
off with the clothing. in places. Mr..
Collins worked heroically. but her
stockings were burning before he
could reach them. As he pulled off
her shoes the flesh on her legs crack
cd.
BROUGHT BEDDING.
u. NJ. Gridiths, a brother of the girl,
was next on the scene He brought
bedding which was wrapped tightly
Ground her thus distinguishing the
flames in such portions OF the gar
meuts as remained upon her.
Miss Griffiths screamed while her
clothing burned, bur subsidized as the
flames were conquered. She was taken
into the home ami physicians sum
maped. DIS. Root and Evans re-
spaAGsd quickly .tnd putslss IN CAL
for the ambulance, swatled the girl in
baudages. She was taken 10 the Holy
Cross hospital, whore her burns were
treated. Owing to the wide spread the
flames obtained and the Intense pain re-
sulting. 1t was not definitely known
whether internal injuries had been in
fiicted, some fear being expressed that
her lungs or heart might have been
affected During the wait for the ann
bulance Miss Grifiiths remained con-
sCious.
When the brother. who was dressing
In the bedroom at the time of the
accident reached the Kitchen ne
found IL all ablaze. He could not
find his sister and beat the fire out
with heavy rags thinking probably she
had tainted and was somewhere IN the
room. Her screams brought him TO
the outside, where he found Mr.. Col
Inns already rendering first aid. After
the excitement had passed. both Mr.
Griffith and Collins found their hands
badly blistered
STORY OF ACCIDENT.
The story of the accident is best told
by Mr.. Collins. When caller raped
on his door this morning Mr.. Col
line had both hands bandaged. He
motioned for the caller to open the door
and step inside. 1T was horrible" he
said. shuadering. The poor girl came
running out OF the house all abla2e.
| got over the fence, but how. do
not know. / pulled at her clothing,
eyerv time ] pulled a piece of cloth
ing to which the flesh was sticking,
the poor girl would scream with pain.
Her corsets were BURNED, nothing but
the steels being left when the flames
got through their work. ] grabbed and
pulled as fast as l could work my
hands and within few minutes most
Of the flame WAS taken away. Then
I,a, a.
making the affair all the more terrible.
Her brother was working over her too.
i'm a few minutes after | reached her.
We wrapped her in bedding and then
took her into the house. The sight
was awful--oh want never to see
such thing againl"
WAS OLD FIREMAN.
u. NJ. Grlnith, the girls brother is
an eX-member of the fire department.
lie said II heard an explosion in the
kitchen and then heard my sister
scream ] rushed in and the room was
one mass OF flames. l began beating
these out and hunting for my sister
just as / was getting the names out
a scream told me she had reached
the outside, so l rushed out and found
Mr. Collins tearing off her burning
clothes II was "A horrible sight. and
IL win be weeks before ! will get ovei
tho fright and horror OF II all" Al
Mi. Griffith spoke he was trembling
like q leaf. Both hands We're band.
aged. The aged mother and Other
members Of the family were still shud
dering.
GRIM RELICS,
In the space between the Grllthl
and Collins home We're grim reminders
OF the AFFAIR, Pieces OF charred clothinl
L shoes ana bedding were scattered
around everywhere. The fence which
Mr. Collins does not remember gettinl
over r. six feet high and difficult ties
Of climbing