GIRL FATALLY BURNED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18468, 3 August 1923, Page 12

GIRL FATALLY BURNED.

CLOTHES CATCH FIRE. ORDEAL/ FOR "MOTHER. ' 'ATTEMPT TO QUELL FLAMES. A mother's' courageous attempt to save her daughter was! the feature "'■ of a shocking burning tragedy'at Richmond, says a recent Melbournepaper. ; The i victim -was Emily ' Hawkins,, aged 13 -years) who died ;at the Melbourne Children's Hospital;- Her mother, ; Mrs.. Grace Hawkins, ■ aged 37, -was severely burned about both hands. V - ', Mrs. Hawkins was being assisted with the cooking .:■: of the Sunday . dinner , ■by Emily, an adept cook ; Suddenly the girl,, who had been standing with her back to the ; stove, gave a stifled cry of terror, which was echoed in the mother's gasp -of horror, as she looked round ;to see her daughter in flames. ' ' - A moment of paralysed agony was followed by a lrenzy of« , activity as the mother beai frantically at the quickly growing flames with her .} bare- hands, while the child ;: danced about in an ecstasy' of pain.. * _'_'. .; A peculiar and unfortunate thine; was that for some minutes neither uttered a sound loud enough to carry outside the kitchen. V . Mr. Hawkins was lying,on a bed in an adjoining room, unaware of his daughter's terrible plight.. •, ''• > y ' - ■ \- : The first intimation he had" was a Scream from his ■.- wife, who ' had realised the futility of her efforts. He dashed in, quickly isized up^the- situation, and in a twinkling had caught the burning | garment and jerked it over the child s head. The girl sank , sobbing to the/floor. ' y< She-was hurried to the Children's Hospital, where she died. > Her burns covered 'her back . and extended from neck to heels. i '• Mrs. ' Hawkins, though . she :.. must have suffered great pain from her -burns, dW not ■' trouble to have them treated until the ne£t day. : Mx, Hawkins also had his right hand burnt badly, but contented himself with smearing it with iodine. : :