Sat pan of gasoline onlight stove

The following story is from the Ypsilanti Daily Press of Wednesday, May 30, 1906.

The carelessnes of a young lady roomer very nearly proved disastrous to herself and the household about 6:30 o'clock lst evening. Miss Spitzer who rooms at the corner of Cross and Hamilton streets at the home of Miss Minnis, sat a pan containing gasoline upon a lighted cook stove, leaving the can itself very near the fire.

In some manner the flue ignited and before the young lady could do anything the curtains and sashes about the room were ablaze. Her screams called the remainder of the household and George Morgan and Charles Webster, two Normal students, who happened to be passing the house. The young men did the fire laddie act very skillfully, throwing the can of gasoline out the window and smothering the blaze with the an old piece of carpet. The fire department appeared on the scene just as the flames were extinguished. The only damage from the scare were the badly scattered wits of the young people and the destroyed curtains.

It appears Miss Spiter started out to clean a garment with gasoline, but not knowing the danage of using it near a fire, carelessly placed the pan upon the stove. Everyone in the house is congratulating themselfs this morning tha the accident was not an infinitely more serious one.