Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-22
ONE DEAD, THREE |
FATALLY BURNED /
IN OIL EXPLOSIONS
Woman, Her Body Charreds
Dies After Being Taken
TO Hospital.
TWO TOTS, RESCUED FROM
FLAMES, ARE UNCONSCIOUS
Haste in Preparing Morning
Meal Cause of Both Fa-
tai Fires.

Two women and the two children
of one of them were fatally burned
in fires in their homes following es-
plosions Of kerosene oil today The
woman and the two babies were
rushed to St. James's Hospital In the
Third precinct ambulance, and the
other woman victim was taken 70
the same hospital in the First pre-
cinct ambulance, all dying from the
burns. One of the women, Mrs Jo-
seph Poltop. died at noon
In both instances the oil was being
poured into smoldering fires to re-
kindle them in preparation for break
fast. The first explosion came at "a
in the home of Mrs. Poltop. at 14s
Jackson street She had just returned
from a store with pint of milk and
was about to warm it on the stove
for her fifteen-months-o babe An
ton. when she found that the fire had
died down.
Pours oil Fire.
She seized the oil can and poured =
quantity on the supposedly dead fire.
There was a puff of smoke and roar
as the flames leaped from the stove to
the ceiling and out of the sides. In
minute the whole three-room fiat was
ablaze. Mrs. Poltop her clothing
flaming. ran to the front window to
summon help. but was too weak to
raise the sash.
The concussion had blown out the
windows in the rear of the house and
startled the neighborhood. Several
men rushed in and wrapped coats
about the woman to smother the
flames. Marcine Haeela, the occupant
Of the floor above. had stayed away
from his work today because of i'll
ness, and was in bed when the
screams of the woman brought him
down stairs. He learned that the two
children, Joseph. aged three. and An
ton, fifteen months, were still in the
| fiat. He went in and found the infant
in the blazing cradle in the middle
room.
Beating out the fire as he ran. he
carried the child into the yard and
was about to go back for the other
boy when some one else carried him
/ out The Third precinct auto was the
first apparatus on the scene and after
! leaving several policemen to helR nut
ssut- tire are speedea With fAe rhco.s-
scious victims to the hospital
Burned by Explosion.
At just 7:30, six minutes after tie
first accident, Mrs. Zedniga Phili.pf.
twenty-eight years old, of 50 Her
man street, met with a similar fate.
She was lighting the fire to get her
breakfast when the oil that had been
poured over the kindling wood ex-
ploded and set fire to her clothing.
Ne.ghbors helped to extinguish the
flames and ease her pain until the
First Precinct ambulance, which Ac@
ting Captain William j. Walzer had
telephoned for. arrived. She was
taken to the hospital
No hope was held out for auv
of the victims. All had inhaled the
flames and had been severely burned.
the Poltop woman's body being ter
ribly burned. The doctors expected
Mrs. Phillip to linger, but could not
hope for her recovery. A few hours
after the accident, Hacela. who had
tried TO save the baby. visited the
hospital and had his burned hands
treated
The damage in the first fire was
about $3.50 while the second loss was
but $40 The police are Investigate
ing both Captain c. Albert Gasser
is also looking into the accidents.