TERRIBLE FIRE IN BIRMINGHAM.

Grey River Argus, Issue 3211, 29 November 1878, Page 2

TERRIBLE FIRE IN BIRMINGHAM.

POUR LIVES LOST. A fire which has resulted in the loss of four lives occurred at Digbeth, Birmingham, late on Monday night, 26th. August. About twenty minutea to eleven o'clock, as some of the visitors to the Museum Concert Hall were leaving, they observed smoke issuing from between the shatters of Mr J. Dennison, ; confectioner, on , the opposite side of the way, and adjoining the premises of Messrs Meyrick and Harvey, oil and color merchants. Mr Dennison's premises consisted of a shop with three floors above. An alarm was at o.nce given to a policeman who r was .oa duty at the Concert Hall, and messengers were sent to the fire-engine house and for the fire escape. In the meantime a soldier, who was one of the party, commenced pulling down the shutter, and attempts were also made to force aa entrance to the shop. As soon as the windows were smashed, the flames, which appeared to have full possession of the lower part of the premises, burst forth into the street, reaching to the window on the first floor. The shop was closed about half-past eight o'clock, and the inmates of the house, consisting of Mr Dennison, his sister-in-law, one child about four, months old, and the servant retired to rest shdrtly after ten o'clock. All attempts to rouse them were for some time fruitless, but at length Mr and Mrs Dennison appeared at one of the windows. Five ladders were speedily obtained from some premises' in Park street^ and attempts were made to rescue the inmates. Unfortnnately they were too short to reach the window, bat Mr Dennison managed to slide down oa to the top rung of one of them. Whilst he was descending the fire caught the lower portion of the ladder and he fell to the ground, but was not injured. Mrs Dennison continued at the window shrieking for assistance, and immediately the escape arrived a number of willing volunteers ascended, amidst cheers from the crowd below, in the hope of rescuing the poor woman, who was holding her child in her arms. . Police constable Moore was the first to reach the window, and caught the child which Mrs Denniaon dropped into his arms. The flames- were now curling round the escape and the heat was intense. As Moore descended holding the child with one hand, the little creature slipped from his grasp, and fell. This unfortunate circumstance caused the most painful excitement amongst the spectators, and for a moment it was believed that the child had fallen into the flames. This was happily not the case, but when picked up it was found to be severely burnt. It was immediately taken to the Queen's hospital and attended to, but from the first recovery was- hopeless, and it died at the institution on Tuesday morning. After the child had been taken away Mrs Dennison still remained at the window, and au attempt wa3 again made to rescue her, several men ascending the escape in rapid succession. The sacking of the escape however, at this time unfortunately caught fire, and the brave feliows were compeled to descend, several of them being seriously burnt about the handstand arms. As the escape was of no further service, it was withdrawn from the window. , Mrs Denniaon remained at the window for a short time, and appeared to be gradually overcome by the flames,..^ which were rapidly reaching her. She / sank upon the window-sill in an apparently insensible coudition, and slowly sliding forkward, fell, amidst piercing shrieks, head foremost upon the pavement - below. She was picked up quite dead. Mrs Dennison's sister and servanty if was said, were afterwards seen at the window, but they fell back into the flames. Mr Dennison states that the fire originated through his servant lighting a match and throwing it carelessly aside in the shop, to which she had been sent for some article after the family had retired. . ~