DOG SAVES SIX LIVES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10638, 14 April 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

DOG SAVES SIX LIVES.

EXCITING RESCUES FROM DEADLY FUMES. LONDON, March 2.

The sagacity ancl devotion of a small pet dog saved six persons from death by asphyxiation at Upton Park. A policeman passing by the furniture shop of Mr David Reed, Green street, at about 4.20 a.m. noticed smoke rising and I pitch oozing from between the flagstones of the pavement. He realised that an electric cable had fused, and at once apprised the fire brigade and the East Ham electrical authorities. Fire engines and an escape and also electricians were quickly on the spot,and I when the current had been switched o! everybody but a few policemen left, j thinking that all was safe. j Such was far from being the, case. ! Within Mr Reed's establishment some remarkable scenes were taking place. The fumes of the burning cable had t penetrated thickly into Mr Reed's cellar, and were slowly filling every room in the house. The pet dog, which ordinarily sleeps peacefully on an old cushion under the. shop counter, was the first to notice the fumes. It crept up to Mr and Mrf Reed's bedroom, and roused them by barking ancl whining. The dog had never done such a thin before, and as it had lately been ill — it is sixteen years old — Mrs Reed thought that is was merely feeling restless. But no amoiiht of coaxing and even threatening could make the dog go downstairs again. So Mrs Reed arose, lit the gas, and ■a weakened her husband. The dog then disappeared, and at the same instant Mrs Williams, who occupied a bedroom on the next floor with her baby, was aroused. Mr Reed ran downstairs and noticed a strange smell. But seeing the fire engines leaving he thought that an outbreak in the neighbourhood had justheen extinguished, and hence the smell. So he went back to bed. Almost immediately came a cry from Mrs Williams above. "The baby's dead. Oh, Auntie, come up !" Mrs Reed went upstairs, wit.h all speed, and shouted to her husband : "Dave, they're both dead. Come quickly." Mr Reed ran upstairs and found all three, his wife included, lying on the floor as if they were dead. He rushed to the window to open it, but, being dazed himself, fumbled for the latch. "Feeling myself about to drop," he explained, "I dashed my arm through the glass, and shouted huskily, 'You're J killing us. Oh, I'm suffocated !" This was fifty minutes after tha bri gade hacf first been called to the spot.. Luckily Sergeant Patterson was still oiu duty below.' He shouted, "Come down and let us in. l£ you can't we'll break open. the door." Reed staggered downstairs and let the sergeant aj\d a constable in, and directly after fell down unconscious. The fumes inside the shop were so overpowering that the police had to call for assistance. Six other constables arrived, Avith about a dozen fire engines and' an escape. In the upper roonis they found five apparently dead bodies lying on" the floors or beds. They were : — Mrs Annie Reed (wife of Mr David Reed), Miss Lily Tidmarsh (her niece), Mrs Maud Williams, George Harry Williams (the baby), ancl Idris Jones (Mr Reed's adopted son).

Artificial respiration by police and firemen was resorted to,, and eventually all the victims, with the exception of Mr Reed who had quite recovered, were taken to the hospital, where they were just night reported to be progressing favorably.

As for the dog, having given the alarm and done its duty, it had crawled back to its proper place under the counter. There one of the policemen found it, lying prostrate and breathing heavily.

He took it out into the open air, where it revived.