LORNE STREET FIRE INCIDENT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13069, 8 May 1913, Page 5

LORNE STREET FIRE INCIDENT.

SAGACIOUS ST. BERNARD.

Quite a good many stories have been I written on the sagacity of the St. Bernard dogj and at one time this sort of story used, to figure largely^ m the school boobs (states the Dominion). Such stories were no doubt taken cum grano salis by older people, but truth is at least as strange as fiction, and a dog -of: this breed probably saved the lives of several people at. the tragic Lome street fire on Saturday night. The facts are attested both by those whose lives were saved, and by the police. r J?he house adjoining that m which 3fr and Mrs. Hall lost their lives was occupied by, .Mr J. Oarruthers and his wife and family. ' Ail the inmates were soundly asleep at the time, biiit as their house gradually filled with thick pungent smoke,, a St. Bernard dog which was m the kitchen downstairs apparently "sizedi up" the dangerous situa-. tion. The dog! made his way upstairs, I pushed :. open the bedroom door, and, barking loudly, . first beat oil ths bed with Ms paws, and then; seizing the bed. clotheij tore them off, and followed this up, by endeavoring to drag the inmates .auto" of bed. When Mr Cav--rutliers was awalcened he saw^ all too • plainly, that a volume of flame was coming m at the .open window, and the whole corner of; the room had caught ;and was bla^ing^ fiercely. ■ .< ■ i Tlie' dog,' however, considered that ho,^ had not yet finished his mission, and seeing his master awakte;>he made off to Ithc next a'oom, 1 - and. when-M^ Carruthers i entered it the dog.. was iouud endeavoiv iing to get the: children out of bed. In the opinion' of the police, who-arriv-*ed>!&bout this time, if another two minutes had elapsed all the occupants m this lipuf-s Would . probably have suffered; death by ♦suffocation. As soon as the outer door was opened the big !St. ■•Bernard showed ■ himself plainly concerned about the, house m which a 'tragedy ,'was actually happening. He ran down the street several times, barking, as if to give tho alarm, and always returning to .beat at the Avails of the ; burning house. No one seems to have (suspected that anyone was inside, but the doe knew better.