A Tragic End for Alice Belden
A young Seattle woman dies after eight weeks of agony following a kerosene lamp accident in her home.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Miss Alice Belden, the young lady who was burned by the flames from an overturned kerosene lamp on Tuesday night, September 5, died at the residence of her sister, Mrs. L. Hudgin, 606 Seventh street, last evening. The agony the unfortunate girl endured from the burns, which refused to heal, can better be imagined than described. From the time she was placed in bed, over eight weeks ago, until death came to her relief, she was not able to sit up. Miss Belden was born in Westfield, Mass., July 29, 1873. Two years ago she came to Seattle, taking up her residence with her sister. The funeral services will be held at the residence tomorrow afternoon.
“The agony the unfortunate girl endured from the burns, that refused to heal, can better be imagined than described.”
Accidents involving kerosene lamps were a terrifyingly common cause of death and domestic tragedy in late 19th-century Seattle. This story captures the fragile reality of domestic life before the electrification of the city.
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