The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-08-13
EXPLOSION SETS CLOTHES AFIRE
Enveloped in Flames She
Runs to Street.
Clothes are Burned off and Flesh Is
Burned TO Crisp-Ncighbors Try In
Vain to Prevent Fatal Burns
With Gasolinc-Dics Few Hours
Later.

Mrs. Ed" ard Tonguet, of 236 East
George street died at one o'clock this
morning as a result of burns received
in gasoline explosion at her home at
1880 o'clock last evening when with
her clothes set aflre, she rushed into
the street enveloped in fire from head
to foot end neighbors with difficulty
held her and used heroic means to
extinguish the blazing clothing.
Famed hy the breeze as she ran
the flames covered every part of her
clothing and reached several feet be-
hind her ls she ran A neghbor, Mrs
White, threw a carpet over her and
would have probably have been able
to have gave the woman's life but
in her hyaterical state of mind she
broke away and ran down the street
Attacked by the fire in the Tonguet
home David Haberman rushed to the
house and meeting Mrs Tonguet
threw his coat about her and with
hands an coat worked to put out the
fire. A pdsserby Joined him and to-
gether with the assistance of several
others they finally succeeded but not
until the clothing was practically
burned off the unfortunate woman
and her flesh was so badly burned
that it dropped off in layers. Those
who fought the flames did not know
whether 1t was man or woman they
were trying to save.
A hurried call summoned the fire
department and Mrs. Tonguet was
carried hlto a neighbor's house. The
department. succeeded in putting out
the fire in the Tonguet residence. Drs
Cheatam, Crane and McMurray were
summoned and round the patient con-
scious when they arrived although
soon afterward she passed into an un-
conscious state remaining that way
most of the time until the coming of
the DEAN angel.
No words may adequately tell the
suffering CT the woman. Her hair was
almost turned off and her clothing
burned to cinders was scattered about
the street and sidewalks. Hardly a
square inch of surface on her body
escaped 'he fires soaring touch.
Screams of the burning woman We're
heard FOR blocks and brought
great crowd to the scene.
The use of gasoline as means of
driving out bed bugs was the cause of
Mrs. Tonsuet's horrible death. Her
husband, during her absence at Agosta
had taken a gallon can of gasoline
into one of the bedrooms and sprinkled
IT over the beds, bedding, carpet and
over 80 ne clothing, The room had
been closed up.
Mrs. Ionguet returned home yes
terday afternoon. Last night, when
ready to put to bed their three child,
rem the oldest of whom is five years
Mrs. Tonguet went into the room with
a lamp, striking a match. In an in
stant the fumes ignited and an ex-
plosion that was heard from some
distance occurred. The panes in the
window vas shattered and the room
caught ~ the same instant and
being of an inflamable nature the
flames spread about her. Frantic from
fright and pain and inhaling the fire
at every breath she rushed from the
room and from the house yelling at
the top Of her voice. Her frightened
children ssy their mother aflame and
cried out IN horror, unable to aid her
Afterward despite her great suffer
ing Mrs. Tonguet talked to those who
sought 10 relieve her pain. She said
she did not know of the gasoline be-
ing sprinkled about the room but her
husband says that when she arrived
home he told her about 1t and he did
not suppose she would take a light in
to the rom.
The physicians found upon their ar
rival thar the unfortunate woman had
inhaled 81 much of the flames and
that her burns were so severe that
no power on earth could save her.
Their efforts were directed to making
her remaining hours easy as possible