A Brave Girl

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 19, 9 May 1907, Page 33

A Brave Girl

Early on Saturday morning, April 20, a disastrous fire broke out in. the Villa Maria school and convent, situated at Hunter's Hill, and within half-an-hour the whole of the buildings were completely destroyed. The institution (says the ' Freeman's Journal f ), which is at the corner of Mary street and Gladesville Road, is conducted by the Sisters of St. Joseph. The buildings consisted of boys' and girls' school, built of weatherboard, and were occupied at the time of the fire" by five Jesters and eight boarders, and although the damage was confined to its total destruction, it was only through the remarkable presence of mind of one of the boarders, Jessie Barrett, that the inmates were saved from a terrible fate. The building was only onestorey high, otherwise the consequences might have been" dreadful. The fire was first detected by Miss Jessie Barrett, who was sleeping in the dormitory next to the music room. The noise of crackling timber aroused her, and the choking sensation she experienced irom the smoke wlAch was filling the apartment, quickly convinced her that something was wrong. Jumping out of bed, she hastened to the door of the dormitory, and "at 'once saw that the schoolroom was a mass of flames. She rushed back crying out *that the place was on fire. Reaching the dormitory again, she picked up one of the boarders, Elsie Butler, who is only seven years of age, in her arms, and then ran to the room where four of the Sisters were sleeping. A t first they w|ere dazed with the smoke, which ,wus now fiMng the building, but after they had been thoroughly awakened Miss Barrett hurried into the room of the Mother Superior, who quickly donned her baiLit and ran out. By this time the flames, fan n ed by a strong westerly wind, were sweeping right into the dormitory. None of the inmates of the doomed building had any time to fully clothe themselves, and they had to make their escape just as. they stood. Indeed, some of them were so stupefied with the smoke that a - good deal of energy and vigor had to be exerJised to rouse them to >a sense of their fearful peril. 'In this Miss Barrett was ' again to the fore, and there can be no doubt that had it not been for her admirable presence of mind there must have, been loss of life, even after she had. given the alarm. She had to assist them out of the window, through which she had just previously helped little Elsie Butler One of the girls, 'indeed, started to run towards tihe flames, but Miss Barrett caught hold of her and farly bundled her out into the open '•hrr m?c 6 Mother Superior, in referring to the part played by Miss Barrett, said :-' Had it not been for this young girl, I am sure we would all have 'been, burned J ?i Ti r ?• Anoflier two minutes would have made by Mis£ Barrett entitles her to be ranked as a youn'SUSP I**1 ** ***?*?■ v She did not seem t0 care abitfolherself, an w.hat she did for all the- others was do n e's 0 derin^Cw 7'7 ' ?** in ? ni B<*tly that I cannot help won? We fll n w. She . kept herself in handh ' and ~ well. We all owe our lives to her ; there is no doubt about