From the Kent and Sussex Courier, 13 April, 1901.

INQUESTS IN MARGATE. FATAL GAS EXPLOSION AT WESTGATE.

On Saturday, an inquest was held before Mr. Coroner Boys and a jury of which Mr. John Eastland was foreman, on the body of Sarah Allen, of Westgate-on-Sea, aged 68 years of age, as the result of a gas explosion.Cold caller trying to sell me cover for a washing machine.
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Mr. William Allen, of Sittingbourne, publican and brickmaker, identified the body as that of his sister, who was unmarried. He last saw her alive three weeks before Christmas. She was caretaker at Everaleigh House, Westgate. He thought she lived there alone at this time of year. He believed she had lived there twelve or thirteen years. When the family were there, she remained in the house.

Mr. Charles Knowles, of Corabelle, Westgate, said Everaleigh House adjourned his residence. At about a 5.15 on Thursday morning, he and his family heard an explosion and the breaking of glass. They at once got up, and then saw Everaleigh House on fire in places. The deceased was outside the house at the side entrance. She was moaning and the very little clothing she had on was alight. He put a few things on and rushed down, but his daughter was down first, and took the poor woman into his house. She told his daughter that she would never stay in a house alone again. She wanted to go back into the house, but his daughter refused to allow her to do so. He went for the fire-brigade and called Dr. Streets on the way. They were there marvellously quickly. When he returned, he found her sitting on a chair. Her legs and feet were charred, and the skin was burnt off her hands. She did not appear to be in the pain he would have expected. The Dr. covered her with oiled cotton wool, and the ambulance arrived quickly and removed her to Margate Cottage Hospital. He did not hear her give any account of the occurrence, but he had heard there had been a gas explosion. In reply to Mr. Jones (a juror) he said the deceased was taken into his house within two minutes of the explosion.

Mr. Thornton, surgeon, said he was called to the deceased, who was at the Cottage Hospital, just before seven on Thursday morning, by telephone. He found her in bed. Hot bottles and other restoratives had already been applied. She was very severely burnt, practically over the whole of the body, and also, to a leaser degree, on her hands and feet. She was quite conscious. He asked her how the accident occurred, and she told him that, while in her bedroom, she noticed a smell of gas. So she put a shawl round her shoulders and went down. There was a strong smell of gas through the house, which she thought came from the drawing-room, the door of which she opened and went in; but the smell was not so great then as before. She then lit a match and put it up to the gas fitting to find the leak. The explosion then occurred. He asked her if she was sure it was a leak, and she said she was certain it was, and that no one could have gone into the room and left the gas turned on. She died about 12.30 the same day. Just before he returned to her. It was wonderful that, with her unusually severe burns, she should have lingered so long. She died suddenly from shock. The case was a hopeless one from the beginning.

Messrs. Boulting and Jones expressed dissatisfaction, as jurors, at the fact that Dr. Streets, the first medical man who saw the deceased, was not called as a witness.

The Coroner said he considered that quite unnecessary as he merely saw her condition the same as Sir. Thornton.

The Foreman said he was perfectly satisfied with the evidence that had been given, and he believed that was the feeling of the majority, especially at they did not think Dr. Streete could throw more light on the case. On a show of hands only two of the jurors (Messrs. Boalting and Jones) voted for an adjournment for Dr. Street’s attendance, and, after the Coroner had summed up, a verdict of "Accidental death from burns caused by an explosion of gas" was returned, the foreman adding that when there were escapes of gas the proper course to adopt was to open doors and windows and not to use a light to discover the cause.