THREE HEROES PERISH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7201, 12 September 1901, Page 2

THREE HEROES PERISH.

TR.ING TO KESCUE A COMRADE IIN A POISONED WELL. Labour has its heroes ivo lese than war. A splendid example of gallant daring for the cake of a" comrade was given by two workmen and their employer in London the other day, one following the other to what seemed certain doom that they might snve life. Death overtook them all, "and the comrade tbey sought to rescue. The four fatalities were the consequence of an accident of a moat peculiar diameter which happened at B.ioimey-by-Bow, and one of the victims was Mr Godfrey Nicholson, of Messrs J. and W. Nicholson and Co., Ltd., distillers. This firm are the proprietors of the Three Mills Distillery at Bromley-by-Bow, as well as of a larce establishment, in Sb John Street, Olei&enwell. Mr Godfrey Nicholson, one of the four brothers at rhe ihead of affairs, acted as manager <at Bromley. Belonging to the distillery is un tic! w*ii, Whioh had been closed for about a year Early in the afternoon Mr Nicholson gave orders for it to be ventilated, and he was on the spot when the process was being carried out. Thomas Pickett went down the well, and it waa soon seen that something was wrong and that 'he was in difficulties. Thereupon Mx Nicholson himself at once descended, only to be rendered nnconircicrus almost immediately, .jrTwo workmen, Fiederiek I.liiott nad Roberfc Underbill, went to the rescue ,n the bravest manner, but tbey shared the same fate. A fifth man was de_ce_ding and was being overcome, when he wae pulled backOther men were eager to rush into the deadly pit, and the resident manager had the greatest, difficulty in retaining them. The fate of the four men in the well was now sealed, and all were dead when air 'had been pumped in and a fireman wm able to dee-end in one of the new *__oke hetmets. A "Daily Mail" representative was informed at the __a_q_a_cer9 of the firan that the shocking affair was largely inexplicable. Of course, it was apparent thab the .men ihad been asphyxiated by the foul gases wjuch had accumulated in the well during ita perno-d of disuse, but beyond that they could explain nothin*. The death of Mr Nicholson, quite a yciing rcaa, in endeavouring to effect the reacue of hii* workman was a crreat .hock to fee firm. Mt* Nkholson was a brother-in-law of Sir Edward Bradford, Chief Com•miesioner of Police.