One has to remember the time and place of the event.
The stove, which may have been propane gas rather than natural gas--I would have no idea--perhaps dated from the 1920s or 1930s. Older people, especially older people who live alone out in the country, tend to keep things around longer.
I'm assuming an ancient stove wouldn't have as many, if any, safety features that newer ones would. And perhaps the gas line, whether natural gas or propane, was similarly decrepit.
It was a long time ago that I was 7 years old, and there's been all these "safety" things mandated by law since then, which might, or might not, make gas stoves safer.
Frank, you have indeed provided an excellent testimonial on the dangers of demon rum and the cathartic value of
Red Man Chew. Whether this will prove beneficial to future generations remains to be seen. Still, any story with baby pigs has to be worthwhile. As the Sig-o points out the only thing cuter than a pigglet is a puppy.
That said, I would concur with your assessment that older stoves were less safe than their current cousins. I remember one of my aunts who lost quite a bit of facial hair when she went to light a propane range at her summer cottage in the early fifties. I was not there at the time but assume she was using a wooden safety match to light the pilot. She arrived at the farm quite burned, was slathered in butter for further transport to the closest hospital ( miles away over rutted dirt roads ). The reason they had gas? No electricity at the pond where their camp was, it would have cost a fortune to pay for the poles and wire.
