The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1951-02-08
Two Children Die
From Blast Burns;
Mother Improving
Fumes From Spilled Gasoline
Can Cause Explosion in Red
House Home Last Thursday

Two county children are dead and
their mother was still in critical con
dition in the Garrett County Me-
mortal hospital from an explosion in
the kitchen of their small cabin, last
Thursday afternoon. Spilled gasoline
was blamed for the blast.
The mother, Mrs. Bernice Dean
Slaubaugh, 26, of Gnegy Church, near
Red House, is patient in the hos
pital where. her two children died
earlier Friday. Officials said this
morning that she was continuing to
improve.
The dead are Charles Roy Slau-
baugh, 4, and Marsha Dean Slau-
baugh, ?.
One-year-old Bradley, the third
child of Mr.. and Mrs. Darrell Slau-
baugh, was treated by DR.. H. c. Mil
Ter, of Eglon, w. Va, for burns of
the face.
Face and Threats Burned
The two older children suffered
first, second and third degree burns
of the body and face while the mother
has face and back burns.
Dr. Miller, who arrived at the
scene of the blaze in the small three
room cottage shortly after the eX-
plosion at p. m, said oddly enough
: IL ,f
slightly burned. She was burned
severely through a jacket and shirt,
which was only scorched.
He added that not all the children's
clothing was burned from them. The
faces and Threats of all three were
very badly burned, the doctor re-
ported
Mrs. Slaubaugh told the doctor the
details of the accident.
She said she had a can of gaso-
line on the floor of the kitchen get
ting ready to pour it in the gas
powered washing machine.
Boy Upsets Can
The young mother was preparing
to do the family wash for her three
small children and her husband, a
farmer The two Older. children were
playing on the kitchen floor and the
baby was in his bed in the adjacent
bedroom
Mrs. Slaubaugh told the doctor the
four ear-old boy upset the gas can
while playing and it triclled toward
the kitchen coal stove in which fire
burned.
She said the fumes filled the room
and the fire in the stove ignited them,
causing a terrific blast.
The boy fled to the bedroom after
spilling the gasoline, she said, but
when the explosion occurred, blow
ing out all the window glass, he be-
came frightened and ran screaming
to his mother in the flaming kitchen.
The grandfather of the chill
dren, Elmer Slaubaugh, who lives 20
feet from his sons cabin, and neigh
Dor boy, Edward Lipscomb, carried
the mother and her children from the
room.
The baby was taken from his bed
through the bedroom window, DR..
Miller related. Mr. Slaubaugh and the
Lipscomb boy with the help of neigh
bors succeeded in putting the fire out
by using a bucket brigade.
Although the structure was not
burned to the ground, the interior
was badly Quilted.
DR.. Miller was called at his Eglon
home which is three miles away. He
said he gave emergency treatment at
the grandfather's home and then took
the mother to the hospital. The chill
dren were taken in another car owned
by a neighbor, George Wolfe.
Husband In Deer Park
The husband of the critically
burned woman had been in Deer Park
purchasing junk and arrived Just as
the doctor and Wolfe were leaving
for the Oakland hospital.
Dr. Miller said all of the family
clothing was destroyed in the fire as
it was placed in the kitchen prepare
tory to washing.
The bodies of Charles Roy Slau-
baugh and Marsha Dean Slaubaugh
were taken to Spiggle's Funeral
Home in Davis, w. Va, whore they
remained until Sunday morning. A
double funeral service was conducted
at Gnegy Church at 10 a. m. with
Rev. Daniel Spaid, pastor of Eglon
Church of the Brethren, officiating.
Burial was in Gnegy Church Gene
terry.