ESCAPE FROM FIRE

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23417, 26 August 1941, Page 10

ESCAPE FROM FIRE

MAN DESCRIBES m&dl EXPERIENCES : - : 3j (P.A.) AUCKLAND, August 2S Remarkably cheerful, and revealing '4 few traces of his nerve-wrackmgex> 1 perience in escaping by a telescopic s ladder from John Burns’s fire. Mr R 1 G. McWhirter told an interviewer at 4 the hospital to-day that he Was": look- I ing forward to his discharge oh Wed- t nesday. He was anxioys to return & $ work, but had been advised that'S £ must rest for a further fortnight aftfr % his return home. V Mr McWhirter said he was in’: ike % fancy goods department whenfhl *

Mr . icWmuc* fancy goods department when.fhi >4 heard a girl scream. He suggested to' S the departmental attendant, Mr Wally g Martin, that the girl had fainted/ Mrt Martin went off and returned calling- / “Fire, follow me.” Before he could '% do so, flames were leaping up the stairs and the passenger lift. Mr tyar- % tin escaped by the chute, but a Wall ?’ of fire prevented Mr McWhirter doing SO. , •"■/ . 4 After telling how he got on window ledge, Mr McWhirter. said, he % felt himself going unconscious while/® awaiting the ladder. He shook himself | to keep awake, and held his breath p to avoid the clouds of smoked “i f thought, “No, I won’t jump. Bettegfe/| unconscious, and not feel the v ,cWaft£/S’ It was reported that I was up theie f for 15 minutes; but one of the depart*.'/ mental managers said he- timed' it at r 25. I lost count of time. 1 heard Y i someone call out, and knew then .that % a ladder had been brought.” ' Mr McWhirter described, the dre.4 with which Fireman Preston got Km,'* with difficulty on to the ladder, j*ad I praised the hospital for its carefcO him. , j y yi