Stewart - Mary (w/o Douglas) - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Go to content

Stewart - Mary (w/o Douglas)

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 19 October, 1900 p 9

Two deaths resulted in this county last week from the use of a coal oil can in lighting fires. On Sunday, Mrs. Douglas Stewart, who resided with her husband on the SC Graybill farm near Ladoga started to make a fire in the kitchen stove. It would not burn readily and she __ the coal oil can. An explosion followed and Mrs. Stewart was badly burned, dying that evening. On Wednesday morning Asa Allen of Linden was lighting the fire with coal oil and the can exploded. He was covered with flame and ran out of doors, rolling in the wet grass to extinguish the flames. He succeeded in doing this, but was so severely burned that he died that night.


Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 12 October 1900

Sunday morning a sad accident occurred about three miles south of here. Mrs. Douglas Stewart was preparing to build a fire in her stove. She picked up the coal oil can which was about full of oil. There being some fire in the stove at the time, the blaze caught into the can and exploded it. She was soon wrapped in flames and before help could reach her she was so badly burned that she died Sunday night. Her suffering was unspeakable. She leaves a husband and four small children, one child a cripple and the youngest not yet a year old. -s



Source: Indianapolis News 13 Oct 1900 p6

Crawfordsville, Ind Oct 13 – Two fatal accidents in Montgomery County this week resulted from the use of the coal oil can in kindling fires. Mrs. Douglas Stewart, near Ladoga had a can explode in her hand while pouring oil on a slow fire, and was terribly burned, dying in eight hours. The following day, Asa Allen of Linden met death in exactly the same manner. - kbz

Back to content