Obituary & Death Notice

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Two Children Die of Burns in Farm Fire

Two Children Die of Burns in Farm Fire
Varda Campbell, Aged One, and Gerald, Aged Two, Victims at Thurso
Explosion of coal oil poured into a stove to hasten the fire resulted in the deaths of two children in the farmouse of Donald E. Campbell at The lower", seven miles north of Thurso yesterday, Verda Campbell, his one-year-old daughter, died in the Civic Hospital early today, while Gerald Campbell, aged two, died on the way to the train from the farm house.
According to Miss Ethel MacKenzie, 6 Fifth avenue, a step-daughter of Mr. Campbell, the latter wanted to light the fire in the stove in the kitchen of he farm house. He decided to put some coal oil on the coal to quicken the blaze.
Thought Fire Was Out
Miss MacKenzie said Mr. Campbell poured some oil on the supposedly dead coals, but apparently one of the pieces of coal was hot enough to ignite the liquid. There was an instant explosion.
One-year-old Verda was sitting in her high chair beside the stove and Gerald was playing on the floor. With the explosion of the oil fumes, the curtains on the windows took fire. Mr. Campbell tried to extinguish the blaze with oats and succeeded in smothering it.
Articles in the room caught fire as well. Misa MacKenzie related to The Journal, and the light clothing of the two children was ignited. In his frantic efforts to beat out the fire in the room and to help the screaming babies, Mr. Campbell's arms and legs were terribly burned.
No one else was at home at the time. The other members of the family, Mrs. Campbell and an 18-year-old son, Gordon, were in Thurso shopping, a daughter, Muriel, and another son, Arthur, aged eight, were at school. They did not discover the disaster until after they had returned from the town and school.
Sent to Hospital.
Difficulty was experienced in obtaining a physician, as the farm-house is isolated. Finally, Dr. Poliquin was located near Thurso. He gave first aid to the three injured and ordered the children removed to a hospital.
While the father remained at home under treatment of Dr. Poliquin, Mrs. Campbell took the two babies in a sleigh driven by the eldest son and started for Thurso. Gerald died before they reached Thurso. The mother and Verda continued on to the city, where Verda died in the Civic Hospital early today
The body of the child was removed to Woodburn's undertaking parlors.
(photo is unrelated to article)
--The Ottawa Journal, Ottawa, Ontario, January 30, 1931

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