Mary Wade Family

ARTICLE 1

GIRL BURNED TO DEATH. CLOTHES CAUGHT ALIGHT. HAY, Saturday.

A fearful burning accident took place at 4 o'clock this afternoon, the victim being a young girl named Edith Ray, employed as domestic servant by Mr. Parkhill, sheriff's officer.

Parkhill and his family had been away for a holiday, and were returning by today's train. The girl went to the house to prepare tea. While doing so, her clothes became ignited. She ran into the garden of the court-house, a mass of flames, and screaming piteously. The screams were heard by a black tracker in the adjoining police station, and he wont to her aid, closely followed by Sergeant Gibson and Sub-inspector Boar, with blankets.

Unfortunately, before they arrived, the blacktracker had put the girl under a
water tap, which Increased her suffering. When the flames were subdued, every bit of clothing had been burnt off the girl, even the leather belt she was wearing being burned through.

She was conveyed to the hospital. Edith Ray succumbed to her injuries at 11.30 on Saturday night. It has transpired that her clothing ignited whilst she was using the skirt of her dross to take a kettle from the stove.

The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) Monday 7 February 1910 p 8 Article

ARTICLE 2

SHOCKING LOCAL FATALITY.

A Young Girl Burned to Death.

A shocking accident occurred on Saturday afternoon, by which a young girl, Edith Rose Ray, aged sixteen years and eight months, was accidentally burned so severely that she succumbed to her injuries before midnight.

The deceased girl was a daughter of Mr and Mrs E. S. Ray, of West Hay, and was employed by Mr Parkhill, who with his family had been absent from Hay on a holiday. The Parkhills were returning to Hay by Saturday afternoon's train, and the girl had gone to their house, adjoining the Courthouse, in Pine-street, to prepare for their home coming.

She was alone at the house, and was preparing tea, about 4 p.m. Mr Shepherd, caretaker at the Courthouse, was working in the Courthouse enclosure, and was startled by hearing fearful shrieks. On looking up he saw the girl running through the right of way separating the Parkhill's house from the court house garden, a mass of flames.

He picked up a bucket, rushed to the copper at Parkhill's, at which he filled it, and then ran after the girl. By this time she had reached the north-east corner of the courthouse, and her cries had attracted the attention of others. Mr Shepherd threw the bucketful of water over the girl, the black tracker also threw water over her, and Senior-ConstableGibson and Sub-Inspector Bear, who arrived almost immediately afterwards, completed the work of suppressing the fire by wrapping the girl in rugs and blankets.

The flames had, however, nearly burned themselves out, as there was hardly a handful of clothing left on the unfortunate girl, even a leather belt she was wearing having been burned through. Surgical assistance was immediately summoned, Dr. Feilchenfeld was promptly on the scene, and the girl was removed straightaway, in Mr Webster's ambulance, to the Hay Hospital.

The wounds were of a fearful character, mostly about the body, and Dr. Feilchenfeld at the outset, gave no hope that the unfortunate girl would recover. At the hospital everything that medical and nursing skill could do was done for the sufferer, but it was of no avail, and about 11.45 p.m., the girl breathed her last.

The girl was conscious at intervals during her sojourn at the hospital, and was able to give her father an account of how the accident happened. It appears that she was removing the kettle from the stove, and finding the handle of it was hot she made use of her skirt, as many girls are in the habit of doing, as a ' holder' to enable her to lift it off without burning her hand. In doing so her dress became ignited.

She tried to put the fire out her self, until it got beyond her control, and she then rushed out into the open air, where the flames were fanned by the wind and she was quickly enveloped. As showing how completely the fire had taken possession of the girl's clothing, we may mention that burning pieces of her clothes were dropping off her as she ran.

Some of these set fire to the dry grass, between the right of way and the cultivated part of the courthouse enclosure, and about twenty five square yards of grass were burnt before the fire died out for want of fuel. The facts of the occurrence were reported to the coroner, who decided to dispense with an inquiry, there being no doubt the fatality was the result of an accident.

Great sympathy is expressed on all sides with the parents and relatives of the girl, at such an ending to a young life.

The Riverine Grazier (Hay, NSW : 1873 - 1954) Tuesday 8 February 1910 p 2 Article