HEROINE OF FIRE DRAMA

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 June 1936, Page 9

HEROINE OF FIRE DRAMA

MOTHER SAVES HER CHILDREN.

LONDON, April 25

A collier’s wife, defying all attempts, to stop her; entered a blazing house at Goose Green, Wigan, yesterday, ami rescued her children, after men had tried and failed. She was Mrs. Mary Jane Mackinson. 28, of 10, 13rackley-street. She had been nursing her 14-months-old son through pneumonia, and had stayed up many nights. Her husband insisted yesterday that she should stay in bed with her son and another three-year-old boy. Mrs. Mackinson was awakened by smoke in the room, went downstairs and found an empty cot alight and (lames spreading rapidly.' She ran out and gave the alarm.

Men rushed to the house, but by this time the kitchen was well alight. Mrs. Mackinson called out, “My children are upstairs.” A number of men made rescue attempts, but all were driven back by flames and smoke.

Neighbours attempted to restrain Mrs. Mackinson, but she broke away from them. She forced her way into the blazing kitchen and up the staircase, which was also in flames. She took the children out of bed, threw open the front bedroom window and dropped the boys into the street, where they were caught by two men,'

The woman was now almost at the end of her strength and overcome by smoke, but she hung on to the win-dow-sill until a ladder was brought. Her face and arms were badly burned. She was taken to Wigan infirmary, but refused to stay there, and after treatment insisted on returning to her sick child.

Mrs Mackinson, with her arms heavily bandaged, said later: “What else could I do with the children upstairs? 'rhe men could not get in, so I had to go. They said. ‘You can't go in'; but I did. I was burned going up the stairs. How I got to my children 1 do not. know. 1 took them out of bed and dropped them through the window.”

The family has been rendered practically destitute. Most of the furniture was destroyed, and nearly all clothing.