OBIT: Jane HAGERTY, 1859, Blair County, PA

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LOCAL ITEMS.

DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.
Woman and Child Burned - The Woman Since Dead

- The Child Likely to Recover. - It is our painful duty to-day to
record an accident, the details of which are sufficient to chill the
blood in the veins of the stoutest, and cause all to turn with
feelings of horror from the contemplation of a scene such as must have
been presented to those who witnessed it. It appears that on Friday
evening last, the wife of Mr. Wm. Hagerty, residing some 3 miles below
this place, filled a lamp with burning fluid, which was said to be
non-explosive, and after lighting it, set it on a table in a room, in
which was her youngest child, and turned to go out. Immediately after
setting down the lamp, it exploded and set fire to the clothes of the
child. - This alarmed Mrs. Hagerty so much that her presence of mind
forsook her, and instead of wrapping the child in her own clothes or
attempting to smother the flames, she picked it up and ran out of the
house, thus fanning the flames. As soon as she came out of the house
she was observed by Mr. Barker, a neighbor, who immediately ran to her
relief, and snatching the child from her, stripped off its clothes as
speedily as possible, but not in time to save it from being shockingly
burned. This done he proceeded to the relief of Mrs. Hagerty, whose
clothes were in flames, but she refused to let him tear them off.
After repeated attempts, however, he succeeded in divesting her of all
which had taken fire, but she was so much burned that it was
impossible for her to live. - A messenger was immediately despatched
for a physician. Dr. Christy answered the call, and to him we are
indebted for our information. - When he arrived, he found the woman
out of her mind, doubtless from the pain she was then suffering. On
examination he found that all the skin, from her neck to her knees,
was entirely burned off, and that at her waist, where her skirts had
been fastened, her abdomen was burned almost through. Her breasts were
so much burned that it was almost impossible for the Dr. to dress
them, and her hands and fingers were a perfect crisp. The Dr.
immediately applied the usual remedies in such cases and administered
opiates which served to ease her pain and restore her to sensibility.
She lingered until Sunday morning last, when death put an end to her
sufferings. The child, which is about two years old, was severely
burned on the left side and thigh, but not so deeply as was its
mother. The Dr. thinks that if inflammation can be kept down it will
recover. At the time of the accident there was no person about the
house except Mrs. Hagerty and the child, although we understand Mr.
Hagerty has several children, some of whom are grown up.

Altoona Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Thursday, August 18, 1859, page 3

1850 United States Federal Census
Name: Jane Hagerty
Age: 35
Birth Year: abt 1815
Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Home in 1850: Antis, Blair, Pennsylvania, USA
Gender: Female
Family Number: 385
William Hagerty 46
Jane Hagerty 35
William Hagerty 17
Jacob Hagerty 15
Susan J Hagerty 13
Joseph D Hagerty 5
Luther C Hagerty 1