EVANS RAINES, ELIZABETH "LIZZIE" ANN - Minnehaha County, South Dakota | ELIZABETH "LIZZIE" ANN EVANS RAINES - South Dakota Gravestone Photos

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Ann EVANS RAINES

Dell Rapids Cemetery - Dell Rapids Cemetery
Minnehaha County,
South Dakota

Mrs. Tom Raines Burned to Death

Attempt to Start Fire with Kerosene Results in Death in Few Hours After Accident

Mrs. Tom Raines was the victim of a kerosene oil accident this morning. While kindling a fire, that caused her death about 1 o'clock this afternoon. She was terrible burned on nearly every portion of her body, the flesh being burned to a crisp in some places.

No one knows exactly how the accident happened, as Mrs. Raines was alone in the kitchen. Mr. Raines had gone down town and the girls were still asleep when Mrs. Raines went downstairs. Miss Gladys, one of the daughters, was awakened by her mother's screams, and rushed downstairs to find her in flames. She pushed her into a bedroom opening off the kitchen and onto the bed, where she wrapped a blanket about her mother and thought she had the flames extinguished. Upon removing the blanket the flames burst out again, however, and she had to extinguish them again. Then she telephones for Dr. A.F. Grove and he and Dr. Eagan hurried to the house. Miss Raines ran across the street to a neighbor and collapsed, being unable to return home.

The physicians found Mrs. Raines badly burned about the body and face. It seemed as if some of the kerosene might have been spilled down her dress, for it was very hard to put out. Most of her clothes in front and there were terrible burns all over her body.

Miss Gladys was badly burned on the left hand and wrist, and a place or two on the body. Strangely, the right hand was hardly burned at all, though she used both hand in fighting the fire.

Mrs. Raines has been in very poor health for some time. Rheumatism had rendered her left arm almost useless, and it is thought perhaps that might have had something to do with the accident. The kerosene was usually kept in a cup, but Miss Gladys thinks her mother might have spilled some of the oil on her dress when pouring more kerosene into the cup, and then when she lighted a match it communicated the blaze to her dress. This was the first time in many months that Mrs. Raines had come downstairs before the rest of the family.

Dell Rapids Tribune

Contributed on 4/29/09 by dellsfig68
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Record #: 8044

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Submitted: 4/29/09 • Approved: 4/29/09 • Last Updated: 8/14/15 • R8044-G8043-S3

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