ESCAPE HORRIBLE DEATH.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 11921, 18 July 1906, Page 3

ESCAPE HORRIBLE DEATH.

Tragedy Narrowly Averted at Aberdeen.

••rvant Girl Pours Korosene^ OH on Fire and Explosion Results

Domestic Badly Burnfd.

Two Babies IgMoued from Burn-

(Per-'Eriaco Mail.) ABERDEEN (U.S.A.), May 26. A careless servant girl, a ooal fire, and a kerosene "can formed a combination which escaped causing a tragedy in Aberdeen. Misa Marguerite Draper, a domestic J>y. Mxft Charies Boedecker, the wife of a travelling man, while alone in the house, with the exception of two babies, twins,, attempted*, to hwrty a tardy fire by pouring kerosene on it. The oil exploded and the 'girl was at once a mass of {lames, while the house was set on fire. Crazed with fear, she ran to the stairway and half leaped and half fell down the stair* and ran into 'the yard, whore a passer-by seized her and, throwing her on the wet lawn, succeeded in extinguishing the flames, but not until the girl was •ererely burned. A* soon as she was released she ran toward* the house, screaming: "Oh, the babies; the babies!" Her rescuer rushed into the house and' attempted to find the twin*, but was blinded by the smoke. Two carpenters, R. H. Mayfield and W. B.^ 'effries, who were working near by. then reached the scene, and disregarding all "personal danger, ran into the house and up the stairs, and succeeded in saving the children, although the houss was at that time burning fiercely and the room in which the children were \\jas full of smoke. The little ones escaped contact ■ with the flames, rbut the heatvin the burning, room w&s so intense that they were severely although not dangerously burned. Miss "Drapers waa -taken to* a hospital, and is in a serious condition, although the doctors say she will recover.