Wilmington Daily Commercial

FATAL AND DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.
DEATH FROM COAL-OIL EXPLOSION—A VERY SAD CASE IN NEW CASTLE HUNDRED.
Early yesterday morning, a distressing accident, proving fatal to one of those injured, occurred at the residence of George Z. Tybout, Esq., in New Castle Hundred, about four miles from the town of New Castle.
Mrs. Maxwell, the mother-in-law of Mr. Tybout, is an elderly lady and an invalid, having been confined to her bed for several months, and it is the custom to keep a light burning in her room, all night. Miss Mary A. Alexander, a young lady from near Frederica, Del., who has resided intimately with the family for several years, sleeps in the room with Mrs. Maxwell, to render her attention in case of need.
Yesterday morning, about 5 o'clock, Miss Alexander rose and went to extinguish the light. It was an ordinary gas lamp burning coal oil. She turned down the flame lower than it had been burning, raised the chimney and blew up, when, upon the instant the lamp exploded into a hundred fragments, and she was enveloped in the flame of the burning fluid. She said she was afraid to go to the bed for a quilt to extinguish the flames, lest she should set fire to it, and so threw herself on the floor, and covered her nostrils and mouth to avoid inhaling the flame. At this point, Mrs. Maxwell, terrified beyond description, managed to get out of bed, and hurrying to the burning girl, threw a shawl over her, but the flames enveloping her were so fierce that they consumed it in a moment.
Mrs. Maxwell, burned and exhausted, now made out to get the door open, and give an alarm, when she fell fainting. Mr. Tybout responding to the call, rushed in and succeeded in fighting the flames and subduing them, as they had, fortunately, not extended to the furniture of the apartment. His slippers were burned from his feet, during his efforts.
Medical aid was promptly summoned for the injured, but in Miss Alexander's case it was unavailing. She was terribly burned—as our correspondent informs us, "literally roasted alive"—and after suffering the most excruciating pain, died yesterday afternoon.
Mrs. Maxwell is doing as well as could be expected, and her recovery is hoped for. The family were terribly alarmed, and are thrown into deep affliction over the tragic occurrence, and the untimely death of Miss Alexander.