Lamp Explosion Is Fatal

Last Friday evening, after preparing for bed, Mrs. Walter McCracken, wife of a prominent young farmer living a few miles northwest of Blair, was so severely burned in a lamp explosion that she died the following day, the funeral being held from the Baptist church Tuesday afternoon.

The entire family with the exception of Mrs. McCracken had retired for the night and after disrobing and doning a night gown, she took the wall lamp from its bracket with the intention of blowing it out, but just as she lowered it in front of her body it exploded. Her gown took fire, the blazing oil from the lamp completely enveloping the front of her body from the waist up.

Hearing her scream Mr. McCracken rushed to her aid and was so badly burned about the hands and arms that he could do little toward rescuing his wife, and it remained for their oldest son to put out the blazing oil and save the house from catching on fire. Neighbors were immediately called by phone and two doctors summoned from Blair. Upon their arrival the poor woman was found sitting on the floor and the husband in a dazed condition from his burns and fright. When Mrs. McCracken was lifted from her position it is said the flesh fell from her arms and hung in shreds from her fingertips.

The physicians did what they could to alleviate her suffering, but from the first gave very little hope of saving her life. She was brought to town in an automobile and taken to the home of her sister, Mrs. Henry Christensen, where everything was done to relieve her pain and suffering and ward off the fatal end, and while she remained conscious until noon she gradually grew weaker and passed away about four o’clock Saturday afternoon.

Mrs. McCracken was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Platz of this city and was taken to the home of her sister in the hope that the shock of the accident could be made easier for her aged parents, the father being in his eightieth year. She was born April 14, 1870, near Atchison, Kansas, coming to Omaha with her parents in 1872, where they remained until 1880, when they moved to Blair. She was married to Walter McCracken on the 16th of September, 1891, and besides the husband leaves four children. Mrs. McCracken was a graduate from the Blair High school and had taught school for a number of years before her marriage.

Relatives residing at a distance were telegraphed of the accident Saturday morning and a daughter, Mrs. Ruth Christensen who lives in Minnesota, arrived with her husband Sunday evening. A brother, Dr. Charles Platz also arrived from Torrington, Wyoming, to attend the funeral.

The community extends its sincerest sympathy to the bereaved family and the aged parents, and words of cheer and comfort have been lavished upon them by nearly everybody. The high regard in which the deceased was held was evidenced by the floral offerings and the large number of friends who followed the remains to their last resting place in the cemetery east of town, the last of the cortege hardly being out of the city as the hearse was entering the cemetery gates.

Mrs. McCracken was an ideal mother and wife and a splendid neighbor who had the love and respect of all who came in contact with her and in her untimely death the community has indeed suffered a sad loss.

Tribune 23 Sept 1914

Burned To Death

The community was shocked Saturday morning when it learned that Mr. and Mrs. Walter McCracken has been terribly burned the night before by the explosion of a kerosene lamp at the McCracken home north of Blair. The accident occurred about 9 o’clock in the evening. They were just getting ready to retire, when Mrs. McCracken took down a bracket lamp from the wall to blow it out. In taking it down, the lamp exploded breaking the lamp in a thousand pieces and throwing burning oil all over Mrs. McCracken. Her husband, who was in the next room, rushed to her assistance and in tearing off her burning clothing had both hands terribly burned. Mrs. McCracken was burned from the waist up to the top of her head, the flesh being literally cooked and dropping off. Medical aid was summoned and she was rushed to the home of her sister, Mrs. Henry Christensen, in Blair. Amid terrible suffering, she lived until 4 o’clock Saturday afternoon, when death relieved her of her suffering.

Maren Mary Platz, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Platz, was born in Jackson county, Kansas, April 14, 1870, and died in Blair, Nebr., Sept. 19 1914. She came to Omaha with her parents when she was two years old and later with them she came to Washington county, where she has since resided. She was a graduate of the Blair High school of the class of ’87. She was married to Walter McCracken, Sept. 16, 1891. To this union four children were born. Mrs. Ruth Christensen of Hubbard, Minnesota, and Harold, Lucile and Dorothy who live at home with their parents.

Besides her husband and four children, she leaves to mourn her sudden demise, her father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. James H. Platz of Blair, two brothers, Charles, of Torrington, Wyo., and Harry, of Arlington, Nebr., and one sister, Mrs. Nora Christensen, of Blair. All of the relatives were here at the funeral.

The funeral was conducted by Rev. F. E. Velck from the Baptist church at 2 o’clock, Tuesday afternoon, and the remains were laid to rest in the Blair cemetery.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

FindaGrave # 8601540