A HEROIC STOKER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 84, 8 April 1905, Page 13

A HEROIC STOKER.

; His Majesty thf King has been graciously p'f-ased to i-onfer tile decoration of the Albert Moilfi! o£ the Second Class on Alfred Stickley. Chief Sto.-Ui-r, K.X. The following is the a«:ount of etie services in respect ■'.f which the ilpcontlon has beon conferred: i>n the morning r>f 11th Jun-.-. 1004. at about IL.'JU. lii.4 M;ijes;;r'.-i torpedo boat destroyer Suci-ess was sti->aniing\towardj: when ir became apparent from J derfe. oa-:n: to the Isisiie of steam fr-jm the funn«*l. that something w.is wrong in the 1 alter stoke hold. Alfred Stickley, chief 1 ia ai't'ordaac" with the orders of the engineer officer, wear below to ascertain the '"ausp. < >n reaching flip stoko hoM ho fouml th.it thei-r , was an escape of steam from the top of No. 1 boiler. which shortly caused one of the furnace doors, which had been left unlatched, to be blown open. Thp stoke hold was inimediately filled with vamp n.ed steam, and tho men present wert , htirct and scalded, rftjirkley grasped the situation with proznpt- | c(*.-=, showing tho greatest presence of ; r.iiml in til' , Pmergpncy. aml ran great risks :ia end&ivonriog co the const l - -| nuenv'es of uti" accident and prevent further injuries to men. Iα spite of the i-ondi-t uns in tbe siokp lioltl ami his own severe exposure to the fianies, he managed to open out the funs ;•> their fuH extent, and made many gallant actempts to close th;; furnace door and open the drencher valvi.-. Finding It was Impossible to tlrivn th° names back. bo gave orders for tho hatch, to be opened, an.l himself remained below nntil the four men in the stoke hoie effected their escape. His fave and neck wcro severely nnrncd. and his hands and fore arms very badly scalded. For over four months he has been on the sick list, suering from his injuries. His Ir.ngs escaped Injury, as he had the presence of mind to put cotton waste into his mouth while he was in the stoke hoid.