TERRIBLE FIRE SCENES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVI, Issue 144, 23 June 1902, Page 4

TERRIBLE FIRE SCENES.

TWO WOMEN KILLED BY LEAPING FROM A BURNING HOUSE. A itke which broke out in Leverstreet, St. Luke's, on May 1, wa3 all over in less than half an hour; but within that time two young wives were killed by jumping into blankets held by .the crowd, and their husbands were dangerously injured; a baby, thrown out, alone escaped without serious hurt. The fire started at No. 48, on the ground floor, while all the inmates were asleep, and quickly gob hold of the staircase. A family named Gibson who lived on the ground floor had barely more than time to give the alarm, and only one other family named Downs, were able to escape with them. The other inmates — Mr and Mrs Walter Martin and Mr and M rs Daniel Darcy and their baby— were on the upper floors, and by the time they received the alarm the stairs and passages were impassable. There was no time to wait for a fire escape. The police got blankets from neighbors, and willing hands held them oufc below the windows where Mr and Mrs Martin were crying for help. But Mrs Martin, who was married only last year, was in a delicate state of health, and her husband, unwilling to let her risk the jump, cried for a fireescape. At last the young husband helped his wife to throw herself from the flames. She fell within the blanket, but was so injured that a few hours afterwards she died at the hospital. Her husband, who had followed her, also had to be taken to the hospital, and he lies in a critical condition there still. A HARROWING SCENE. Meanwhile the scene at the back of the houso was, if possible, even more harrowing. Mr and Mrs Darcy were unable to get to the front of the house, and as they stood at the second floor windows at the back the smoke poured out between them and the ground, so that they could not see the blanket held out, nor could those holding the blanket see them. A'l they had to guide them were the shouts of the police. They dropped their baby first. It passed through the smoke, reached the blanket, and was uninjured. Mrs Darcy followed. But instead of jumping she must have fallen. Tho horror stricken helpers saw her fall down the side of the house, miss the blanket, and alight upon her head. She was picked up dead. Mr Darcy jumped and reached the blanket, but his spine was badly hurt, and he lies in the hospital hovering between life and death. Mrs Martha Martin was twenty-two years of age; Mrs Sarah Darcy but twenty. Darcy is 21, Martin 23 years of age. „______