Neff - Alice
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly, Friday, November 7, 1902
The explosion of a gasoline stove at a few minutes after five o'clock last Thursday at her home 607 south Walnut street, resulted in the death at a quarter to ten o'clock Friday of Mrs. Alice Neff. The accident which resulted fatally to Mrs. Neff occurred while she was ironing and was rather peculiar. She had finished her work and was in the act of removing the ironing board from the table on which it was lying. The stove, which was a small two burner affair, was setting on another nearby table and when Mrs. Neff raised the ironing board she struck the stove. She attempted to catch it and just then the explosion occurred. Several of the neighbors heard the report and hastened to ascertain the cause and were horrified to see Mrs. Neff rush from the back door of her home a mass of flames. The blaze, fed by gasoline, which had undoubtedly been splashed all over her, rose high in the air and this sight, mingled with the agonizing screams of the burning woman, made a sight too horrible for description. The women who saw her ran at once to the rescue and some threw water upon her while others secured blankets which they wrapped about her body. She was thrown upon the ground and thus the blaze was soon extinguished, but not until she had need fatally burned. Her cries were pitiful to hear and all that could be done for her comfort many willing bands were present to do.
An alarm of fire was sent in and the department responded promptly. The rear of the house, where the explosion occurred was completely wrecked and fire had started in several places, but it was extinguished without great loss. The building was owned by S.A. Stillwell and was amply insured. Dr's. Hutchings, Gerard and Ensminger wee called and the injured woman was taken into the north side of the house, which is occupied by Charles E. Sandlin and family. Here Mrs.Neff was wrapped from head to foot in cotton and placed under the influence of chloroform. From the first physicians held out no hope for the life of Mrs. Neff, as she had been terribly burned. The flesh hung in shreds from her face, arms and body presented a ghastly sight. The funeral of Mrs. Neff occurred Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock at the residence of S.A. Stillwell, on south Walnut street, conducted by Dr. Wallace Tharp. Interment at Oak Hill - thanks muches to Kim H