Sarah L Parker
Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 May 1874, page 7
NEWPORT
Yesterday morning one of the those accidents of the never ending
series of coal oil casualties occurred in Newport. Sarah L Parker, aged about
twenty years, a daughter of Thomas Parker, a citizen of Campbell County and
living near Alexandria, was lighting a fire about six o'clock at the house of
Mr. Joseph Lezear on Front street, where she was employed.
The flames communicated to the oil can in her hand and an explosion took place, setting her clothing on fire and burning her limbs and par of her body so severely as to cause her death. A colored person who was helping about the house threw some wet cloths or blankets about her and extinguished the flamers, but too late to save her. Her screams startled the neighborhood and for awhile her suffering was intense, and a physician informs us that burns of that severity destroy sensibility and there was not much subsequent pain.
Her father, brother and sister were sent for and arrived in time to see her alive. They took her body back home with them. She was baptized by Rev Foster Ely, Rector of St Paul's Church, about 11 o'clock about was her intention to receive the Holy Communion also, but she died before the hour appointed for that solemn sacrament. Dr. Geo W Thornton and Dr. R N Thornton did all that medical aid could do for the poor sufferers.