Wilkinson-Topley: TheMcKeesport Daily News

The Slippery Rock News, July 1925 - December 1926

SLIPPERY ROCK CHILD MAY DIE FROM BURNS

Dress Catches Fire When Pack of Firecrackers Goes Off &endash; Rushes Into Street, Screaming

Betty Welsh four-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Welsh, of Slippery Rock, is making a game fight for life in the Shenango Valley Hospital, New Castle, as the result of a firecracker accident last Friday evening.

The little girl, whose parents keep the store at the junction of the Franklin and Pittsburgh roads in Slippery Rock, was setting off some firecrackers when the one in her hand suddenly ignited a whole bunch nearby.

Before she could escape, her flimsy dress was aflame and she ran hurriedly into Main street, screaming, with her clothes ablaze and the flames licking her hair. Men ran to her rescue and stripped her clothing, but not before the little girl had been severely burned around the ears. Fears are entertained for her recovery.

Seventeen Give Skin To Little Patient

Betty Welsh Of Slippery Rock Improving &endash; Severely Burned Last July 4

Fifteen Slippery Rock young men and two nurses in the Shenango Valley hospital recently submitted to operations of skin grafting in behalf of little Betty Marie Welsh of Slippery Rock, who on July 4 was painfully burned by firecrackers, which were prematurely ignited.

It is understood that the patient, who is only seven years of age, will be required to sumbit [sic] to one more operation before leaving the hospital, although her condition is favorable and her complete recovery is believed to be a matter of weeks.

Those who donated patches of skin for the little Independence Day victim are: Jack McDonald, Paul Grine, Harold Davidson, Everett Hines, Arthur Moore, Leonard Horsman, Paul Walthour, Robert Young, Willard Zimmerman, Orol Cooper, George Hines, R. C. ("Heavy") Boyer, Lee Topley, J. D. Scully and Jack Sculty, and the Misses Rachel Laurel and Mable Morrison.

BETTY WELCH HAS NARROW ESCAPE

For several days after the Fourth of July, the life of little Betty, the 5-year-old daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Walter Welsh of this place, hung by a very slender thread as the result of an accident which befell her on Friday of last week. After receiving first aid treatment at the hands of a local physician, she was taken to the New Castle hospital where for two days her condition was considered very grave; it being thought she could not recover. However, she passed the crisis and late word from the hospital is to the effect that she will recover.

About 5:30 Friday evening, residents of Slippery Rock were startled to see the small form of a child, enveloped in flames, rush from the Welsh home, corner of Main and Franklin streets, crying frantically for aid. And it was due to the hasty judgment of Henry Mason, aged 91, that the little tot was saved from a horrible death. Mr. Mason succeeded in extinguishing the blaze, but not before the front part of the girl's body was frightfully burned, from the neck to the knees.

The accident was the one thing to mar the otherwise holiday spent by the local residents. Betty was alone in the home of her parents, playing with a package of firecrackers. The package exploded, igniting her clothing. With rare presence of mind, the child screamed for help and started for the street, running through a small areaway between her own home and the home of her grandparents.

Persons on the opposite side of the street were chilled to the heart as their attention was called to the screams and the sight of the running child.

Then Slippery Rock's nonogenarian stepped to the rescue. Henry Mason was sitting on a bench talking to some friends in front of the Welsh building. He was one of the first to see the little girl. He grabbed the child in his arms as she came out of the areaway and began tearing off her blazing clothing. Other men came quickly to his assistance, but the little girl was terribly burned about the body and arms.

The entire community rejoices in the fact that little Betty's life has been spared. It is thought that she will suffer no permanent disfigurement from this adventure.

Seven Youths Give Skin in Operations to Save Life of Tot Burned In Slippery Rock

Little Betty Welsh May Owe Her Life to Young Men of the Town

OPERATION PERFORMED WITHOUT ANESTHETIC

If little Betty Welsh, five-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter L. Welsh, of Slippery Rock, survives burns received in an accident on the eve of last Independence Day, she will owe her life largely to the courage of seven Slippery Rock young men, who yesterday afternoon underwent operations at a New Castle hospital and gave portions of their skin to be grafted on the breast of the little sufferer.

The young men all survived the ordeal bravely. None was permitted to take an anesthetic, and not a single volunteer flinched when the moment came to go under the knife.

Little Betty Welsh was playing with firecrackers in her home on the evening of July 3. The firecrackers became ignited, and set fire to her clothing. The little human torch fled from the house, and Henry Mason, aged 91, was the first to see her and proved the hero of the near tragedy. Grabbing the little girl he proceeded to rip her clothing from her body. Meanwhile others arrived on the scene, and succeeded in extinguishing the flames before they had snuffed out the child's life. The little girl was rushed to the Shenango Valley hospital, in New Castle, and it was at that institution that the skin-grafting operation was staged yesterday in an effort to save the little girl's life.

At last reports the little patient was "getting along as well as could be expected," and hopes were entertained for her recovery.

The young men who submitted to operations in an effort to save the life of the Welsh child are Kenneth Westlake, James Topley, Lloyd Billingsley, Edward Taylor, Clare Adams, Ray Adams and Russell McClelland.

Nine Others Give Skin To Be Grafted On Little Sufferer

Nine more persons, including the child's mother, submitted to operations at the Shenango Valley hospital yesterday and gave portions of their skin to be grafted on the body of little Betty Welsh, five year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter L. Welsh, who was severely burned by the premature ignition of a package of firecrackers at her home in Slippery Rock the evening of July 3.

It was the third time friends had submitted to similar operations. Shortly after the child was taken to the hospital several of the nurses gave particles of their skin to the tot, and a week ago yesterday seven Slippery Rock young men did likewise.

Those who submitted to operations yesterday in which portions of their skin was removed to be grafted on Little Betty are Bernard Hogg, Lloyd Dennison, Edward Sager, Leland Steinecker, Jiles Stillwagon, Sheridan Hines, Paul Boozel and Mrs. W. L. Welsh of Slippery Rock and Mrs. Andrew Harcar of New Castle.

GOVERNOR PAUSES ON TRIP TO VISIT CHILD IN HOSPITAL

Reception Committees and the Like Wait While Pinchot Comforts Betty Walsh.

In spite of the many demands made upon him for his time, as a result of his time, and as a result of his visit to Butler and New Castle yesterday, Governor Gifford Pinchot found time to spend the most of his time while in New Castle at the bedside of little Betty Welsh of Slippery Rock, who is recovering from burns received at her home on last July Fourth while playing with fire crackers. The governor visited the hospital in which Betty is a patient.

Governor Pinchot showed considerable interest in the subject of skin-grafting, and the procedure was explained to him in detail by hospital physicians. Little Betty has submitted to three or four operations of skin-grafting to date, during which young men of Slippery Rock as well as several nurses in the hospital volunteered and offered particles of cuticle to be grafted onto the burned parts of the child's body.

It was reported that the governor's visit at little Betty's bedside not only brought about a noticeable improvement in the condition of the little girl, but in that of the governor himself, who is recovering from a recent attack of laryngitis.

Betty Marie Welch Is Removed From Local Hospital

Little Girl Badly Burned With Fire Crackers At Her Home In Slippery Rock Last July

Betty Marie Welch, aged 5 years, little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Welch of Slippery Rock, was removed this morning from the Shenango Valley hospital where she had been confined since the third of last July.

The accident happened at her home when she was playing with fire crackers. Her clothing caught fire and she was badly burned about the body before the fire could be extinguished. She was brought to the local hospital where everything possible was done to ease the pain.

Several operations for skin grafting have been made but they have not proven entirely satisfactory. Her condition is much better but it will be many weeks, it is believed, before she will recover from the effects of the terrible accident.

Second Christmas For Betty in Hospital But Still Believes in Santa

As the darkness creeps out of the night to make way for the light that will spread over Christmas Day, a little bit of a girl will open her grey eyes, shake the sleep from beneath her bobbed, goldish hair and look about to see others of her age caressing toy dolls and opening tissue-papered packages.

Betty Welsh is her name and she is aged six. She spent last Christmas Day in a small bed of a hospital private ward and she will spend today in much the same manner. Ever since Betty has been able to understand the wonderful stories her mother has told her of Santa Claus she has been in the hospital on Christmas Day. Eighteen months ago &endash; July 4, 1925 &endash; Betty was rushed to the hospital. She had held a firecracker in one hand and touched a match to it with the other in front of her home at 1827 Main street, Woodlawn. The burns spread from under Betty's chin down to her knees. Betty was in the hospital 10 months when she was allowed to return home for a few months. Then came another trip to the hospital where now the doctors are trying to replace the skin that was burned away. Betty is in St. Francis Hospital. She would rather be home, she says, but if she can't be there she'd rather be just where she is. Today she will slip cautiously out of her bed, pull her brown bathrobe over her white pajamas, and thank Miss Nurse for pulling on her brown stockings and brown shoes. Then Betty will fold a light-haired baby doll in her arms and step slowly down the corridor of the children's ward. Her head will be bowed slightly - a bow to necessity &endash; as she peeks into another ward and a slow smile will light up her face as some fast-recovering youngster shouts, "Merry Christmas, Betty, look what I got."

There are a dozen Christmas trees in the hospital and Betty will see them all, showing her doll and her large bouncing ball and the toys that have come her way. All these have come from Santa Claus, in whom Betty has implicit faith.

"You believe in Santa Claus, don't you, Betty?" the reporter asked her.

Betty nodded her head slowly and decisively and asked, "Don't you?"

Nurses Mourn Death of Tot, Fire Victim 18 Months Ago

The sisters, doctors and nurses of St. Francis hospital today lamented the death of cheerful little Betty Welsh, aged 6, of Slippery Rock, Pa., who, ever smiling through more than a year and a half of pain, yesterday lost her heroic battle to recover from burns she suffered when a giant firecracker closed her pre-Fourth of July celebration July 3, 1925.

For 10 long months the child lay helpless in St. Francis hospital while the best medical attention and the most expert surgeons and physicians labored to bring her back to health. Several skin grafting operations were performed. Through it all the child was so cheerful and happy that they called her "the pet of the hospital."

But little Betty's heart finally failed under the trying ordeal and she passed away late yesterday. Before being taken to St. Francis hospital the child was a patient for eight months in a New Castle hospital. She was burned from neck to feet when the exploding firecracker ignited her clothing.

Updated on Saturday, 01-Jul-2000 18:08:51 MDT

	SLIPPERY ROCK CHILD MAY DIE FROM BURNS Dress Catches Fire When Pack of Firecrackers Goes Off &endash; Rushes Into Street, Screaming Betty Welsh four-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Welsh, of Slippery Rock, is making a game fight for life in the Shenango Valley Hospital, New Castle, as the result of a firecracker accident last Friday evening. The little girl, whose parents keep the store at the junction of the Franklin and Pittsburgh roads in Slippery Rock, was setting off some firecrackers when the one in her hand suddenly ignited a whole bunch nearby. Before she could escape, her flimsy dress was aflame and she ran hurriedly into Main street, screaming, with her clothes ablaze and the flames licking her hair. Men ran to her rescue and stripped her clothing, but not before the little girl had been severely burned around the ears. Fears are entertained for her recovery. Seventeen Give Skin To Little Patient Betty Welsh Of Slippery Rock Improving &endash; Severely Burned Last July 4 Fifteen Slippery Rock young men and two nurses in the Shenango Valley hospital recently submitted to operations of skin grafting in behalf of little Betty Marie Welsh of Slippery Rock, who on July 4 was painfully burned by firecrackers, which were prematurely ignited. It is understood that the patient, who is only seven years of age, will be required to sumbit [sic] to one more operation before leaving the hospital, although her condition is favorable and her complete recovery is believed to be a matter of weeks. Those who donated patches of skin for the little Independence Day victim are: Jack McDonald, Paul Grine, Harold Davidson, Everett Hines, Arthur Moore, Leonard Horsman, Paul Walthour, Robert Young, Willard Zimmerman, Orol Cooper, George Hines, R. C. ("Heavy") Boyer, Lee Topley, J. D. Scully and Jack Sculty, and the Misses Rachel Laurel and Mable Morrison.		BETTY WELCH HAS NARROW ESCAPE For several days after the Fourth of July, the life of little Betty, the 5-year-old daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Walter Welsh of this place, hung by a very slender thread as the result of an accident which befell her on Friday of last week. After receiving first aid treatment at the hands of a local physician, she was taken to the New Castle hospital where for two days her condition was considered very grave; it being thought she could not recover. However, she passed the crisis and late word from the hospital is to the effect that she will recover. About 5:30 Friday evening, residents of Slippery Rock were startled to see the small form of a child, enveloped in flames, rush from the Welsh home, corner of Main and Franklin streets, crying frantically for aid. And it was due to the hasty judgment of Henry Mason, aged 91, that the little tot was saved from a horrible death. Mr. Mason succeeded in extinguishing the blaze, but not before the front part of the girl's body was frightfully burned, from the neck to the knees. The accident was the one thing to mar the otherwise holiday spent by the local residents. Betty was alone in the home of her parents, playing with a package of firecrackers. The package exploded, igniting her clothing. With rare presence of mind, the child screamed for help and started for the street, running through a small areaway between her own home and the home of her grandparents. Persons on the opposite side of the street were chilled to the heart as their attention was called to the screams and the sight of the running child. Then Slippery Rock's nonogenarian stepped to the rescue. Henry Mason was sitting on a bench talking to some friends in front of the Welsh building. He was one of the first to see the little girl. He grabbed the child in his arms as she came out of the areaway and began tearing off her blazing clothing. Other men came quickly to his assistance, but the little girl was terribly burned about the body and arms. The entire community rejoices in the fact that little Betty's life has been spared. It is thought that she will suffer no permanent disfigurement from this adventure.
	Seven Youths Give Skin in Operations to Save Life of Tot Burned In Slippery Rock Little Betty Welsh May Owe Her Life to Young Men of the Town OPERATION PERFORMED WITHOUT ANESTHETIC If little Betty Welsh, five-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter L. Welsh, of Slippery Rock, survives burns received in an accident on the eve of last Independence Day, she will owe her life largely to the courage of seven Slippery Rock young men, who yesterday afternoon underwent operations at a New Castle hospital and gave portions of their skin to be grafted on the breast of the little sufferer. The young men all survived the ordeal bravely. None was permitted to take an anesthetic, and not a single volunteer flinched when the moment came to go under the knife. Little Betty Welsh was playing with firecrackers in her home on the evening of July 3. The firecrackers became ignited, and set fire to her clothing. The little human torch fled from the house, and Henry Mason, aged 91, was the first to see her and proved the hero of the near tragedy. Grabbing the little girl he proceeded to rip her clothing from her body. Meanwhile others arrived on the scene, and succeeded in extinguishing the flames before they had snuffed out the child's life. The little girl was rushed to the Shenango Valley hospital, in New Castle, and it was at that institution that the skin-grafting operation was staged yesterday in an effort to save the little girl's life. At last reports the little patient was "getting along as well as could be expected," and hopes were entertained for her recovery. The young men who submitted to operations in an effort to save the life of the Welsh child are Kenneth Westlake, James Topley, Lloyd Billingsley, Edward Taylor, Clare Adams, Ray Adams and Russell McClelland.		Nine Others Give Skin To Be Grafted On Little Sufferer Nine more persons, including the child's mother, submitted to operations at the Shenango Valley hospital yesterday and gave portions of their skin to be grafted on the body of little Betty Welsh, five year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter L. Welsh, who was severely burned by the premature ignition of a package of firecrackers at her home in Slippery Rock the evening of July 3. It was the third time friends had submitted to similar operations. Shortly after the child was taken to the hospital several of the nurses gave particles of their skin to the tot, and a week ago yesterday seven Slippery Rock young men did likewise. Those who submitted to operations yesterday in which portions of their skin was removed to be grafted on Little Betty are Bernard Hogg, Lloyd Dennison, Edward Sager, Leland Steinecker, Jiles Stillwagon, Sheridan Hines, Paul Boozel and Mrs. W. L. Welsh of Slippery Rock and Mrs. Andrew Harcar of New Castle.
	GOVERNOR PAUSES ON TRIP TO VISIT CHILD IN HOSPITAL Reception Committees and the Like Wait While Pinchot Comforts Betty Walsh. In spite of the many demands made upon him for his time, as a result of his time, and as a result of his visit to Butler and New Castle yesterday, Governor Gifford Pinchot found time to spend the most of his time while in New Castle at the bedside of little Betty Welsh of Slippery Rock, who is recovering from burns received at her home on last July Fourth while playing with fire crackers. The governor visited the hospital in which Betty is a patient. Governor Pinchot showed considerable interest in the subject of skin-grafting, and the procedure was explained to him in detail by hospital physicians. Little Betty has submitted to three or four operations of skin-grafting to date, during which young men of Slippery Rock as well as several nurses in the hospital volunteered and offered particles of cuticle to be grafted onto the burned parts of the child's body. It was reported that the governor's visit at little Betty's bedside not only brought about a noticeable improvement in the condition of the little girl, but in that of the governor himself, who is recovering from a recent attack of laryngitis.		Betty Marie Welch Is Removed From Local Hospital Little Girl Badly Burned With Fire Crackers At Her Home In Slippery Rock Last July Betty Marie Welch, aged 5 years, little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Welch of Slippery Rock, was removed this morning from the Shenango Valley hospital where she had been confined since the third of last July. The accident happened at her home when she was playing with fire crackers. Her clothing caught fire and she was badly burned about the body before the fire could be extinguished. She was brought to the local hospital where everything possible was done to ease the pain. Several operations for skin grafting have been made but they have not proven entirely satisfactory. Her condition is much better but it will be many weeks, it is believed, before she will recover from the effects of the terrible accident.
	Second Christmas For Betty in Hospital But Still Believes in Santa As the darkness creeps out of the night to make way for the light that will spread over Christmas Day, a little bit of a girl will open her grey eyes, shake the sleep from beneath her bobbed, goldish hair and look about to see others of her age caressing toy dolls and opening tissue-papered packages.		Betty Welsh is her name and she is aged six. She spent last Christmas Day in a small bed of a hospital private ward and she will spend today in much the same manner. Ever since Betty has been able to understand the wonderful stories her mother has told her of Santa Claus she has been in the hospital on Christmas Day. Eighteen months ago &endash; July 4, 1925 &endash; Betty was rushed to the hospital. She had held a firecracker in one hand and touched a match to it with the other in front of her home at 1827 Main street, Woodlawn. The burns spread from under Betty's chin down to her knees. Betty was in the hospital 10 months when she was allowed to return home for a few months. Then came another trip to the hospital where now the doctors are trying to replace the skin that was burned away. Betty is in St. Francis Hospital. She would rather be home, she says, but if she can't be there she'd rather be just where she is. Today she will slip cautiously out of her bed, pull her brown bathrobe over her white pajamas, and thank Miss Nurse for pulling on her brown stockings and brown shoes. Then Betty will fold a light-haired baby doll in her arms and step slowly down the corridor of the children's ward. Her head will be bowed slightly - a bow to necessity &endash; as she peeks into another ward and a slow smile will light up her face as some fast-recovering youngster shouts, "Merry Christmas, Betty, look what I got." There are a dozen Christmas trees in the hospital and Betty will see them all, showing her doll and her large bouncing ball and the toys that have come her way. All these have come from Santa Claus, in whom Betty has implicit faith. "You believe in Santa Claus, don't you, Betty?" the reporter asked her. Betty nodded her head slowly and decisively and asked, "Don't you?"
	Nurses Mourn Death of Tot, Fire Victim 18 Months Ago The sisters, doctors and nurses of St. Francis hospital today lamented the death of cheerful little Betty Welsh, aged 6, of Slippery Rock, Pa., who, ever smiling through more than a year and a half of pain, yesterday lost her heroic battle to recover from burns she suffered when a giant firecracker closed her pre-Fourth of July celebration July 3, 1925. For 10 long months the child lay helpless in St. Francis hospital while the best medical attention and the most expert surgeons and physicians labored to bring her back to health. Several skin grafting operations were performed. Through it all the child was so cheerful and happy that they called her "the pet of the hospital." But little Betty's heart finally failed under the trying ordeal and she passed away late yesterday. Before being taken to St. Francis hospital the child was a patient for eight months in a New Castle hospital. She was burned from neck to feet when the exploding firecracker ignited her clothing.