"HOW I ESCAPED!

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14142, 18 August 1909, Page 7

"HOW I ESCAPED!

• v MR. CROUCH'S THRILLING STORY.

V;'; The story of "How" I escaped!" was - given to a Herald representative yester-

day by Mr. E. Crouch,, indent agent, who "- occupied an office on the second floor, and i-; who was so gallantly rescued, amid the |cv cheers of the assembled crowd, by Mr. Thos. McPherson, head storeman at Cochrane"* auctioneering mart. The pressman - i found Mr. Crouch in bed at his home. - His hands and arms, which had been badly burned, in some places to the bone, were -.bandaged, while his head and face were i .also bound up. . . '

"You want me to give an account of

my experience," said Mr. Crouch, answerV. ing the pressman's query. "Well, I went H: down to my office at seven o'clock, and I **, was working when I heard the sound of falling glass. I immediately opened the

M : door and walked along the passage to the ?v head of the staircase, where I saw a little

smoke. Realising that the place was on

;; : fire lat once returned to my office, opened ray safe, and got out a little case of jewellery, which was uninsured, and which I was holding on trust for a friend. The jewels were worth about £250. Putting 'the case under my arm I went back into ' , the passage, and found that it was a roaring furnace. Seeing that my retreat by J?" means of the staircase was thus cut off, I ' • hastened back into my room, and climbing

t;*i through the- window got out on to the coping, and clinging to the window ledge .:" shouted out for help. I could see the i crowd fast assembling in the street below, ;. and heard them shout out for me to jump,

V; but T realised that if I did so I would be - instantly killed, and so I clung on, hoping that the Fire Brigade Mould soon arrive,

.and would be able to get me down by .- .means' of a ladder.

'' It seemed a frightfully long time while -.'■ I ' was standing there," went on Mr. , Crouch. "The flames which had pursued m© along the passage into my room were i now coming through the window, licking ■"my hands and face, and almost suffocating me, but still I clung on. At last the _ flames became so fierce that I had to seek .' what little shelter I could find, eo I walked along the coping, and leant up against the coiner pillar. After what seemed an interminable period I heard a voice call from ; - dose by, ' For God's sake come here.' A : hand was stretched round the pillar. I took it, and got round the pillar, on the | Parapet of the Thistle Hotel, but how s. I did it, and how Mr. McPherson so ably agisted me, Ido not know. It was truly .. a miracle when 1 come to think of it now. ; I owe my life to Mr. McPherson. '} ," "Ou getting on to the parapet I heard . ,toiaeone 6 ay the name 'McPherson,' but ■ that was all." I did not see him, and jj have, never seen him since. ! I then got through the skylights of the hotel, and so ;;; *<>;- safety. But for Mr. McPherson I || should not have been alive to-day, and I j|-.am sony, very sorry, to think that be 1 should Live been hurt subeecpjently. He . u a ..gallant fellow, a hero, in my opinion, '.:.; *?$ I intend to reward him within my || : l 1 ?,! M s, but this is not enough, and I hope * : "*t the public will start a subscription fep^{ re ward this in not enough, and I his that the public will start a subscription to reward him in some measure for his gfr&llant conduct,"- -

As regards the 'case* of jewellery, ; Mr. Crouch gays he throw this into the street, and it was secured -and safely deposited in the Thistle Hotel. ~ ' ;

STRUCK BY FALLING. DEBRIS. CONDITION OF THE INJURED. The serious accident referred to above, by which three men were injured, one slightly and two to a more dangerous extent, occurred at the scene of the fire about 1.30 p.m. yesterday. Some workmen employed by Winstone and Co. were engaged removing a safe from the office of the British and Conticntal Piano Co. As they were thus engaged it became necessary to turn the hose on" a wall near them, when a heavy fall of brick and mortar from the top of the wall occurred. The three men were knocked down and sustained nasty scalp wounds. They were carried into Mr. Whyte's chemist shop, and after being attended to by Dr. Sharman were conveyed to the hospital.

The men were Neil Howell, of 8, Welling-ton-street, John Brown, Albert-street, and Chas. Tapwood, Symonds-street. Tapwood was discharged after his injuries had been dressed, but the other two men were retained in the hospital. Brown had sustained a fracture and Howell was also somewhat badly hurt, but this morning their condition was not considered serious.

Of the men injured on Monday Mart. O'Sullivan and Schofield were discharged yesterday. McPherson was still in the hospital, and though he was suffering from shock, last night his condition was not serious.