Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 March 1913 — DREDGE COOK WAS BURNED TO DEATH [ARTICLE]

DREDGE COOK WAS BURNED TO DEATH

George Ulm Writes About Terrible Accident That Betel Estimable Woman on Dredge.

George E. Ulm, of Rensselaer, who Is working on a dredge Point, Wis., writes the following account of a sad accident that occurred on the dredge boat one day last week:

Tuesday morning at 6:20 a lamp exploded and fatally burned our cook, Mrs. Hart Williams, of New Canton, 111., and burned her husband's hands until the flesh fell in pieces from them. We had just finished our breakfast and I was just leaving the cook cabin when the lamp exploded. I stepped back and opened the door to see what had happened and the cook was a solid mass of flames, and she started to run out, but her husband caught her and said: “For God’s sake don’t go out in the wind.” I ran to our sleeping cabin, calling for some of the men to throw me some blankets, that the cook was on fire. They thought I said the cabin was on fire and all went >up stairs to see, and then, knowing what I said, came down just as I got in and took four pair of double blankets from a bed down stairs and ran out with them. Just as we got around to her cabin she fell out of the door and I wrapped the blankets about her and smothered out the flames, but her clothing was nearly all burned from her body. We tore off all of her elothing that was not burned off and took her to her room, where we did all that was possible to relieve her suffering. We took lard and soda and melted them together and dipped a linen table cloth in it and wrapped her in it and sent for a doctor, the nearest of whom was 16 miles away. The section man went for him on a gasoline speeder, 16 miles to meet the doctor at Dexterville, Wls„ and was back In 45 minutes. We took her to City Point, 2 1 / z miles from the boat, and when we got her tyere the doe-

tor was there and dressed her burns, after which we took her to Grand Rapids, Wls., to a hospital She died at 8 o’clock that, night. Mr.'McAllister left Grand Rapids with the body for her home at New Canton, 111., at 5;20 t;he next morning. Her husband accompanied the body. He was fearfully burned, and being a crippled man, having one limb off at the knee, will now probably be more than ever a cripple for the rest of his life. Mrs. Williams had been the cook for three years for McAllister. She was a fine lady and loved by all who were employed where she was, being always happy and 4oviaL She will be missed greatly by aIL Hoping all who use oil lamps that read about this sad accident, will be careful how they handle lamps, for this was the most pitiful sight I have ever seen, and could not believe without seeing, the fearful suffering of one so burned.