Daughter of Peter Taylor ADAMS and Elizabeth Henrietta DOWNS.
SANTA ANA REGISTER - 13 January 1911:
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Mrs. Annie Gowen died last night at 8:00 as the result of burns received yesterday afternoon following the explosion of a chemical ironer.
The ironer, which was recently bought by Mrs. Gowen, was not working well. Mrs. Simms, the housekeeper, says that Mrs. Gowen first tried to light it in the kitchen, then took the apparatus to the back porch.
Mrs. Simms heard the explosion and immediately went to the door. She saw flames all over the porch, and Mrs. Gowen was aflame from head to foot. Mrs. Simms tried to use a rug to smother the flames,
but did not meet with success, and she then turned on a faucet and with a hose plied a stream of water on the burning woman. In that manner the fire was put out.
Burned as she was, Mrs. Gowen displayed wonderful self-control and fortitude. She went into the house and stood at the telephone, called up her husband and told him the house was afire and she was burned. At that time the fire was in the porch.
Mr. Gowen, and others, rushed to the house. Mrs. Gowen had collapsed and Mrs. Simms had wrapped her in a quilt and helped her to bed. The fire, which had spread from the porch into the kitchen was soon extinguished.
A physician was called; it was found that Mrs. Gowen was frightfully burned, the wounds covering nearly her entire body. From the first, the physician said there was no hope. Mrs. Gowen was taken to the Santa Ana Hospital where she died about four to five hours later.
The tragedy was a terrible shock to the relatives and many friends of Mrs. Gowen and her family.