Evening Star Newspaper, August 8, 1937, Page 35

LOV OF MOTHE INSPRES SONS Widow of Hindenburg Crash Victim Leads Injured Boys to Health. POINT PLEASANT, N. J, August ¥ (N.ANA).—The good news from here is that Mathilde Doehner and her two sons, Wernex, 8, and Walter, 10, have quit Boro's Beach Hospital sand have boarded a train for their home in Mexico City. There they will take up again the Hfe that has been in a state of sus- pension since the night of May 6, when the dirigible Hindenburg burned and erashed. Hermann Doehner, 49, head of the famlily, manufacturer of in- dustrial chemicals and owner of a pharmaceutical supply house, never left the dirigible alive. His body was tdentified by the wedding ring on the fourth finger of his left hand. Irene, 16, Mrs. Doehner's second born and only daughter, a blond and blue-eyed girl, shy, quiet, pretty, left the dirigible with her mother and two brothers in an ambulance. When the doctor examined her he said, “The beat she can hope for is to die fast.” It took her half the night to waste her strong. young life away. 80, horribly, began as heroic a story 88 a mother has ever written. It is quite a stmple story. Physician Pays Tribute. Her heroism consisted in remaining the leader, helper and teacher of her two youngest sons, soothing their pain, fighting off the demoralization and weakening of mental health and moral fiber that frequently attends such a catastrophe as the one through which they lived. She had to do this while her mind was numbed with grief for her dead husband and dead daughter and while she herself lay in a hospital bed swathed in bandages and suffer- ing great physical pain. The only mention she has received thus far for the successful completion of her task were the words of Dr. Harry 8. Ivory, the country doctor who re- stored her and her sons to health. He said, “She is a great woman.” Fear Rose Like Panic. In the twilight of that May Wednes- day, the father was off somewhere as the airship floated down to her moor- ing and the mother stood with three of her children. Her oldest boy, Kurt, 21, was in Germany, & student at the Darmstadt Technical School. Her second-born, Hermann, 17, was at home in Mexico City. The children peered excitedly out of the window, but the mother stood with, she says, an inexplicable dread mounting in her. She had not wanted to make the flight. When the ship was over New York, her husband had pointed out the buildings to her and had said, “Now aren't you glad we took the Hindenburg and saved two days? We might still be at sea.” “I'll be glad when were on the ground,” she had said. There were only minutes separat- Ing her and her family from the ground now, but, she said today, the emotion of being 50 near the end of peril, of being 50 near a relief from the fear she had had to suppress for her children’s sake through all the voyage, rose in her like a panic. Then a sudden, soft sound, a slow shudder, the flames leaping up like & wall before their startled eyes, the children recoiling, screaming, pulling at her, glass crashing, metal rending, the quick slap of frightened feet against the composition deck. Mrs. Doehner shot a quick glance around for her husband, could not find him, tried to lift her daughter through the window. She was too heavy. She Wwas unnerved with fear, Tossed Sons From Ship. Mrs. Doehner was losing valuable eeconds. She picked up the first at hand—Walter—forced him through the shattered glass and flames and into space, grabbed Werner and swung him out to follow his brother, saw her daughter away. Then a last, long look around for her husband, who knew where they were, who must be fighting to join them. She had her purse in her hand. It was filled with her jewels. She had time and nerve to think the purse might be lost in the confusion on the ground. She took her jewels and put them on. Then she couldn’t wait anv more. She stepped to the hot, twisted window-ledge and dove head-first through the scorching burst of flames and landed on the ground unconscious, her hip broken in three places. Fight Not Over Yet. On that night the long, long fight was only the beginning. It is not yet over. Mrs. Doehner had five blood transfusions, her sons seven. Ehe had one operation, Walter two, ‘Werner three. Today only Werner still shows, on one side of his face, the acars of his experience. In the Fall, he will return here for another, and, it is hoped the last, plastic operation. . During their 92 days here, the family wrote medical history. Mrs. Doehner and Werner had suffered third-degree burns over almost three- quarters of their skin surface. In all previous cases on record, according to doctors here, when half the skin surface is burned so severely, the patient dies. But Dr. Ivory, 37-year-old chief of staff of the hospital here, tried a com- paratively new treatment on them— injections of a preparation from an extract of the suprarenal glands. The great danger in burn cases is that, the function of the skin to drain off toxic poisons having been destroyed, the poisons accumulate in the body, wear down the walls of the blood vessels and make them porous. The blood leaks through, the veins collapse and death results. This preparation is calculated to offset this action and guard the walls of the blood vessels. Plastic surgery also was called upon to work its wonders. The burns had injured the ligaments of the hands and feet of the patient, and, in other days, would have left them per- manently crippled. Dr. A. Lyndon Peer of Newark, N. J, was called in to do the skin grafting which restored the injured members to full utility and obliterated the scars left by the catastrophe, Mrs. Doehner says she will keep her large house going in Mexico city, for the children’s sake, as much like it was before as possible. “My life is over,” she says, “but the children’s lie before them.” ‘Will she herself fly again or allow her children to fly? “Never,” she says, and adds as an afterthought, “not unless it's neces- (Copyrisht, 1937, by the North American » Newspaper Alllance, 1ac.) . 37 Spe HO 79¢ —3-at. Aluminem Tea Kettles In sun- ray finish, W 3 for 33¢ —&-ft. Clothes props of smoeth, sturdy wood. Ded 3 dust, radiator, Bolsters, eic. Frying Pan ‘with highly polished inner surface, ing eover. 3 —Ivorr or white Enameled Comb nettes. Irregulars of higher priced grades. 29¢ — Gem _ Wall - Type Can Opener—o) ean without remgh Aluminam n Set. 1, 2, sires with 88¢ — Decorated _Metal Kitchen Ensemble— sep-em refuse can and waste basket, —Large sise splint wood clothes hami ers with hinged co ers. Well ven Iated. THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. T, AUGUST 8 1937—PART TWO. 89¢ —7-gal. _eorrugated i X eams. Leakproef, —Folding weoden W and waxing ete. 98¢ White Enameled Refrigera- Pans for left overs, etc. n basting cover. —White _enameled toflet seats it standard fittings. 39%¢ —~White or tvery Ssimsied qvials in Summer USEWARES -— 25 ft. Garden Hose *1.49 —Goodyear guaranteed hose, rein- forced with fabric. Standard brass I;r_ninum ae —Many pieces in- C oluding: 3-piece 49 sauce pan sets, 3 and 4 qt. pots, coffee dripolators, 3 and 4 qt. kettles. I Gas Range Protectors —Pyroxilin in white, D X4 ivory or green on one @ side . . . asbestos on the eDe other. $2.98 Rayon Taffeta Shower Curtains’ $1.98 —Water - repellent, mildew - proof eur- tains in pretty pat- terns and colors. Regulation size. ONE DAY ONLY O’Cedar Mop and Polish dusts as it ishe: Bottle of eream polish. ONE DAY ONLY “EVERHOT” Electric Roaster $14.95 with Utensils —Cooks a ONE DAY ONLY 66-Inch Metal Wardrobe Closets steel rod, holds 10 to 15 garments + + . shelf and tie 63-in. Metal CLOSETS $3.30 —Two-tone green and ivory finishes. Four shelves and shelf space at bottom. Portable Ovens With Thermometer Is Delightfully “CAPITOL” INNER-SPRING 1 839.50 Value For —Because we made & large purchase we got these mattresses at a special price—and we can offer them to you at just half the regular price, They're made to our specifications by the “Capitol” Mattress Company, with such outstanding features as: 350 tempered steel coils (to full size) embedded in fine cotton felt . .. Rayon taped pre-built boxed borders—rolled or smooth edge . .. Button tufts ... Rayon rope handles . . . Eight air ventilators ... lA!fiya_n damask covers in rose, blue, green or orchid. sizes. Kann's—Alir-Cooled Third Floor. August Sale Of SHEETS —Buy sheets and pillowcases in August and save money! Three popular brands at very special prices. OX108 Sheets = 42336 Pillow Cases e e e 5Bunting9 Gliders MOHAWK—Sizes § 81x99 and 72x108 Orig. $27.95 and $29.95 93198 Sheets SEg1 POX108 Sheet A one day price that will 3 8 . X eets .3 — y Hiid8 & i 45138 Fiilow cs 33 take these gliders out of here $ in a hurry: Bargains every one comfortable, good look- . ing and with such features as: CANNON Fine Muslin Sheets 81 00 a 81x99 and 72x108 o o P0x108 Sheets 42x36 Pillew Cases 45136 Plllow Cases PEQUOT—Sizes 81x99 and 72x10 @ Three Section Coil Sprngs Stabifizers for Steadiness ©® Six Removable Cushions Scratchless Rubber Shoes @ Noiseless Ball Bearings Flo_nhnz Metal Arms ® Water Repellent Covers Shiny Chrome Trimmings -.81.1% pH Kann's—Air-Gooled Third Ploor. / SALE' Hemstitched Linen TABLE CLOTHS.. 339 value $2.94 20x40 CANNON Turkish Towels —A heavy, absorbent quality with col- l 9.: Fine imported linen cloths at a decided saving . .. 68x82-inch size in neat damask patterns with hemstitched hems. SPECIAL: Linen Dresser Scarfs —With lace edge. Also solid color scarfs € with striped borders. 36 and 45 inch sizes. 50c to 75¢ values. ored stripe borders. Priced to make it an economy to buy half a dogen or more. Kann's—Air-Cooled Street Floor, Walnut and Maple Finished SALE!Bookcases 34-9 ® Reg. $5.95 and $6.95 ® Birch and Maple Woods Kann's—Air-Cooled Fourth Floor.