MAN SAVES A TOWN

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 11326, 2 October 1930, Page 7

MAN SAVES A TOWN

I!LAZING GAS-HOLDER

DASH THROUGH THE FLAMES

Hundreds of.; .people... in England probably owe. their lives to workman who,- at the risk of his life, clashed through smoko and ilame to a’ blazing gas-holder, and saved a town and village from disaster. People rose, from their beds and rushed out of doors when a, gas-hold-er exploded and shook, the town of Keighley. Widespread panic was caused, but no one was injured, though smoke and Haines rose to a. height of 600 f- and fumes Ming dVer the village of Thwaites, where the Keighley gas works are situated, for some hours. William Brent, the yard foreman, was the hero of the occasion, la tterly regardless of liis own safety, lie rushed down the yard, through an inferno of llames, smoko and. fumes, to the control house, and turned the wheel which shut off the gas that was pouring into the blazing gas-holder. If the gas had continued to go ip to the wrecked holder, the llames would in all probability, have spread to another full gas-holder a few feet away. “Tho report of the explosion shook the building,” MV.. Brent, whoso, head and hands were burned, declared. “The top. of tlie holder seemed to shoot off, crumple up anil collapse. Flames shot into, the air, and smoke rose in dense clouds. • There was imminent danger of the second gasometer becoming involved. I thought at any moment that there would bo a further explosion, Had the top of tho gasometer not broken and the explosion occurred, inwardly instead of rising hi to the sky,', (lie eonsepuenes would havo been terrible,’.’.: Tilt? cause of the explosion is . a mystery.