GREAT FIRE IN INDIA.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8533, 25 July 1889, Page 3

GREAT FIRE IN INDIA.

150 LIVES LOST. A TOWN DESTROYED. Particulars of a diiastront fire, in which 150 men, women, and children are said to have perished at Akbarpore subdivision Behar, have been sent to the Statesman by a correspondent. It appears that there was a marriage in the house of a Rajput on April 26. As usual, there was a large gathering of both sexes. While tba ceremony was being proceeded with a fire broke oat at the entrance of the house, and, qb a strong westerly wind was blowing at the time, the entire premises were enveloped in flames in the course of a few minutes. Some of tbe men managed to extricate themselves by rushing to the door. Bat the difficulty was how to save th« women asd children. The greatest confusion prevailed. One Sipahi Sin>b, tbe father ot the bridegroom, and a brave Rajput, bad the presence of mind to match bis son and the bride from tbe crowd, and going to the roof let them down in a lane tunning close to the house, and told them to run for their lives. BETURNINQ TO DRATH. Having just then recollected that he had left a bag of 150rn. behind him, be returned to tbe bouse. He recovered the bag, and was preparing to mnke his escape when be heard tbe lamentations of women and children proceeding from a room, tba door of which was shut. Sipahi was too brave and noble a fellow to think of personal safety when thece helpless creatures were in imminent danger of be'ng burnt to death. He opened the doo.-, and tbe scene that followed dc fies description. The females rushed out and hid hold of him, each one in despair calling out, "Save me, Bnve me " Ho was a man of splendid physique, and if left alone might have succeeded iv saving boojo, if not all ; but what could tbe poor era 1 ! do against ho many distracted women and children clinging to him for dear life? He fell to the ground, aud they crowded round him. A few minutes more and the fire had done its work Nothing was to j be seen but a heap of charred roruninp. The sight was revolting in the extreme. Tbe polico were on the spot after the accident, and l>uritd the dead in three wells of the village. The fire txtended to other huts, ond Akhorpore ifl a wreck.