Robert Wallace Ely

Two little boys, brothers, were dead Monday night, victims of a home fire accident which occurred while their father, a city fireman, prepared to take them to a baseball game.

The victims were Robert Ely, 6, and Bernic Ely, 9, sons of Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Ely, 306 South Windomere.

Both engulfed in flames when a can of naphtha was kicked over in the kitchen of their home, they were taken to Methodist Hospital where Robert died several hours after the accident, and Bernic later in the evening.

The boys were shining their shoes in the kitchen, looking forward to the outing with their father, who is on vacation. Mr. Ely was drawing his bath when the accident occurred, and the mother was at work. Apparently one of the boys kicked over the can of cleaning fluid, which ignited.

Mr. Ely's first knowledge of the accident was when he heard one of the boys shout, "Daddy, I'm on fire!" The clothing of both boys was aflame when he reached the kitchen.

As Mr. Ely grabbed Robert and began smothering the flames by wrapping him in a rug, Bernic ran from the house screaming. He ran to the corner of Windomere and Wentworth, nearly half a block away, and fell on the northwest corner of the intersection, where several women of the neighborhood found him. He was wrapped in a quilt to smother the flames and his burned clothing was removed.

Mr. Ely was treated for burns on his arms up to his elbows. The house, a four-apartment building was damaged extensively. The kitchen, living room and several other rooms were charred inside.

Published in The Dallas Morning News Tuesday, May 28, 1940 genealogybank.com