EXCITING SCENE AT A FIRE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1215, 20 January 1886, Page 5

EXCITING SCENE AT A FIRE.

At a great fire which occurred in a large warehouse in Manchester a very exciting scene was witnessed. An English paper thus describes it :— -" The fire is supposed to have begun in the third floor in th,e fustian department, The alarm was given soon after 10 a. m, and there was a hasty flight ef clerks. When the fire brigade arrived about ten minutes lateir the flame* were raging furiously, most of the material in store being easily inflammable. At 10.30 the gaze of the vast crowd which thronged Portland-street was observed to be direqted towards that portion qf the warehouse which is situated in Princes- street, and soon afterwards there was a simultaneous rush down the street. The firemen were also seen to be hurrying towards the spot. A figure, apparently that of a young man, was standing on the sill of one of the windows in th.c topmost story— an, appalling height from the street. A cry of horror rose from the thousands gathered below. Mr Superintendent Savage passed the word to the, firemen to bring the blanket. While this was being done, another of the firemen was directing a powerful jet of water on to the portion of the building in immediate, pontiguity to tha man, as s'lffotfating oioudrf of smoke' were pouring out of the window on wh,ich he' was dinging,, while the room immediately beneath him was ewwjloped inflame. XiOhbetimeto

constantly sent up by the crowd, which endeavored to encourage the man by frequent calls of "Hold on," "Keep fast." The blanket had now been spread below the window on which the man was clinging, and was grasped by dozens of hands. Now the cry rose, " Jump, for God's sake !" then a huge volume of blinding, suffocating smoke hid him from the view of those in the street. When the smoke had partially cleared away he was still holding on to the window, with his face pressed closely against the wall to preserve himself from the smoka, and with his clothes drenched by water. Some men who were standing at an adjoining open window cheered and encouraged the man by every means in their power, and apparently by their advice he endeavored to step on to "'the sill of their window. But the distance was too great to be covered, and the poor fellow, who throughout the terrible ordeal behaved with the greatest coolness, had to desist from the attempt. A longer ladder was procured and placed against the window ; but its only effect was to smash the window and to make another outlet for the smoke, which curled up in a thick cloud to where the man was standing, and again hid him. Presently fresh cheers arose, as it was seen that a fireman had made his way through the back premises on to the roof of the burning building, with a long, stout rope. The fireman appeared to be in some doubt as to the exact position of the man, and some delay occurred in reaching him ; but, directed by the shoutingcrowd, he ultimately found the window at which the man was standing. The fireman then firmly secured the rope and lowered it down. It could not be seen whether the unfortunate man had grasped what appeared to be his only means of escape, for the smoke again completely obscured him. But a few seconds after the lowering of the rope, all doubt was set at rest, for he was seen to 3wing himself off the 3ill with the rope securely fastened round his right wrist and Brmly grasped by both hands. The rope seemed to catch almost the moment he launched himself into the air, and it was fearad that he would be suffocated, as he dangled from the roof in the blinding smoke which enveloped him as it burst through the window. At this crisis the fire escape arrived and was raised against the building. A fireman ascended the steps, and just as the rope was beginning to work again he seized the man by the shoulder and dragged him on to the escape amid prolonged and excited cheers. The rope was unfastened from his wrist, and he was brought down the escape in safety to the ground. The hero of this adventure seems to have passed away unhurt and unknown, for his name was not ascertained."