The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-07-07
Her Body Atlame, She Saves House.


Mrs C. H. Baker, wife of Northwest
ern Conductor c. H. Baker, was taken
to an Omaha hospital at noon after a
terrible experience with gasoline at
her home on South Thirteenth street
this morning. Mrs. Bakers body is
terribly burned and little hopes are
entertained for her recovery.
Mrs. Baker was putting up fruit and
the supply of gasoline in the tank of
the little stove had run down. She
hurriedly opened the top and, with
the fire burning, poured more OF the
fluid into the tank through a funnel.
She poured the gasoline too fast and
it flooded the funnel and leaked over
her clothing. The fire in the burners
of the stove connected with her cloth.
ing and in moment she was in flame.
Terror stricken, Mrs. Baker ran out
Of the summer kitchen into the yard,
where she endeavored to extinguish
the flames by rolling on the ground.
At no time did she lose consciousness
and. thinking of her 6-year-old daugh-
ter sleeping in an upstairs bed room,
she screamed Fire! fret"
These appeals for aid reached the
ears of Miss Amanda Petzel, who is
making her home with the Bakers.
Miss Petzel rushed upstairs and
brought the little daughter down to
safety and at the same time she
brought out OF another bedroom a
heavy blanket which she threw around
81 Iii IN
guish the flames by that means. Miss
Petzel is but Is years old and Mrs.
Baker, who is quite heavy, was diff.
cult to handle.
The scene at this moment was a
tragic one. Little Idelta, the daughter,
was crying piteously for help and in
front Of the house on the lawn the
mother and Miss Petzel were engaged
in a struggle with the flames, which
burned up the blanket, all the clothing
from the suffering woman's body and
most of the hair. All that remained
unburned were the shoes.
Finally the struggle ended and, send
bring assistance, Mrs. Baker rushed
to a shed where a gasoline engine
pumps water for the garden hose.
This the suffering woman heroically
started going and the fire which be.
gan burning up the kitchen was eX,
tinguished by Miss Petzel. Mr. Baker
was in the railroad yards ready TO go
out on his run, when the telephone
call from Miss Petzel came, summon
I ing him back home. With difficulty
| because of trouble on the telephone
| line, the physician was summoned
Immediately upon his arrival he found
, that two-thirds of the body was badly
burned and that the suffering woman
must be rushed to a hospital.
DR.. Tashiean and DR.. Brush return
ed after the first visit with a convey
ance and took Mrs. Baker to the First
street station. DR.. Tashjean accom-
panied her to Omaha.
The Baker home is a sad lookinl
place. In the front yard on the lawr
is heap of burned clothing and ashes
of the blanket. At various places o
! the yard bits of burned clothing cal
be seen, showing signs of the struggle
between the burning woman and tn,
flames. In the gasoline shed to whicl
Mrs. Baker rushed in her heroic ant
successful efforts to start the waite
power are also bits of the burne,
clothing and in the summer kitchen
are the open jars partly filled wit
cherries which were being preserve
by her for her family. The gasolin
stove stands intact An examinatio