Selected Death notices from the Lafayette Advertiser 1873-1905
Submitter: Audrey Hopper (RHopper454 @ aol.com)
Source: Lafayette Advertiser
Date: May 26, 2005


**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************
 

From the Lafayette Advertiser
Saturday, Feb. 8, 1873 pg. 2 col 1

     Terrible Accident--  A terrible accident occurred on Monday 
evening , at the residence of Mr. Ozeme LeBlanc, in this parish, about 
five miles west of Vermillionville.  The particulars of the accident, 
as near as we have been able to learn, are as follows:  Mrs. LeBlanc, 
late for the evening with candle in hand, was filling a lamp from a 
can filled with coal oil, when her little son, aged about two years, 
ran into the room and striking his mother’s arms knocked the candle 
and can from her hands on to the floor, the candle struck the oil 
and in a second the floor was in flames.  Mrs. LeBlanc’s dress having 
caught fire, she rushed from the room into the yard, forgetting her 
child, where her husband extinguished the fire, but not until her 
arm was severely burnt.  Mr. LeBlanc immediately ran into the room 
to extinguish the fire there when he found his little son enveloped 
in flames; by his efforts he succeeded in extinguishing the fire, 
but alas! Too late to save the poor little creature, the devouring 
elements had pierced its tender vitals and in a few minutes its young 
soul took its flight to heaven.
     Mr. LeBlanc’s hands were also badly burnt, but we are happy to 
learn today, Friday, that both, Mr. and Mrs. L. are doing well.  This 
is another warning to parents to be careful how they use coal oil 
lamp of any kind; lams should be cleaned and filled during the day 
and not wait until night to fill them.  So many accidents from coal 
oil and other lamps should be a warning to all.