Evening star., 1925-06-20

Accident in Hospital Last
Monday Made Public as
Hope for Injured Girl Wanes.
BLAZING LIQUID IGNITES
CLOTHING OF VICTIMS
Pair We're Cleaning Operating
Room After Major Operation,
When Gas Goes Off.

MISS Lois Bowers, 30 years old, a
student nurse, was so severely burnedl
that she may die. and Charles Wal
ACE, an orderly, was badly scared by
names last Monday, when a can Of
ether accidentally ignited in the on
Grating room of the HOMEOPATHIC
National Hospital. Second and y
streets northwest.
The accident, carefully concealed
from the public. did not become known
until early this afternoon when the
condition of Miss Bowers, whose home
Is in Martinsburg, W. Va. became so
serious that hope for her life was
virtually abaESoned. Wallace will re-
cover, his injuries being confined to
his hands.
According to hospital authorities
the accident occurred Immediately
after surgeons had completed a diff
hcult major operation, but neither the
patient. the attending physicians
or other members of the operating
room staff were injured. as they had
stepped out of the room just a minute
before the explosion.
Wallace had removed the can of
ether from an anaeSthetizing ap-
paratus and was carrying it into the
ster1llZlng room, small chamber i'm
mediately adjacent to the operating
room. On the way he passed too
close 10 the hot sterilizing machine
and the can of ether, a substance that
is highly inf1ammable, suddenly burst
into flames.
Help Arrives Late.
had completely enveloped his hands
and lower arms. Wallace dropped the
can. Unfortunately Miss Bowers was
standing directly beside the spot where
the flaming anesthesia fell and be
fore she could move her clothing was
ignited.
Falling to the floor in panic, she
screamed for help, but before the
physicians and other nurses could
reach her side she was virtually en-
veloped in fire. Wallace, badly hurt
himself, was helpless. Wet blankets
were quickly thrown over Miss Bower
and the flames were extinguished, but
she had lost consciousness before she
could be rescued.
Everything possible has since been
done to save the young nurses life,
but she has grown steadily worse.
From the time the flames caught her
she had been unable TO talk and tell
her own story of the accident Off
cials at the Homeopathic National
Hospital said today that her condition
was very critical, and it is feared she
cannot survive.
Facts Were Withheld.
The first intimation of the accident
reached The Star late yesterday. too
late for an investigation then. When
reported called at the hospital this
morning he was refused all informa-
tion by the woman superintendent on
duty, who declared she thought the
incident none of the public's business,
and that the patient" in the operat-
Ing room at the time, might object to
publicity in the matter .
Although she would not admit an
accident had occurred, she carefully
refralned from denying it, and went
so far as to refuse to give the name
of the physician in charge or any
members of the board of trustees. She
severely upbraided the reporter for
interfering" in the business of the
hospital"
Inquiry at the second precinct
police station disclosed that no re-
port of the accident had been made
TO the proper authorities and the in
formation was communicated TO head
quarters by the station, with re-
quest that a detective be assigned to
the case to inquire into the posi-
bility of criminal negligence having
caused the accident.
When members of the board of
trustees were informed of the serious
nature of the accident. however, they
Immediately ordered a full report made
to the police. The president of the
board. who had been out of the city
for several days, knew nothing of the
affair until today and physicians who
had been in the operating room just
before the. accident expressed surprise
at the care with which il had beeO
kept secret.