Terrible Death by Fire.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 202, 23 September 1873, Page 7

Terrible Death by Fire.

One of the most tragical occurrences that we have seen reported in the Colonics occurred one evening last month at Newcastle, Ndw South Wales, When a member of the Fire Brigade thel'e, named Lewis Wood, an undertaker, was literally roasted to death. Among other demonstrations of rejoicing to celebrate the abolition of the tonnage dues at Newcastle was a bonfire at Shepherd’s Hill, in close proximity to the rifle butts. The material of which the heap was composed that was to be set on tire was principally coal, about eight or ten tons having been stacked in a heap, with wood, shavings, and other ignitable materials. The stack Was 7ft. or Bft. high, and on the top of this a barrel of pitch, ol ; Some other combustible substance, was placed to facilitate the progress of the fire; A large concourse of people, probably 1000, had assembled on the hill in the immediate vicinity of the heap, to witness the bonfire. Shortly after seven o’clock, the members of the City Fire Brigade (who had taken the most prominent part in the demonstration during the day) held a torchlight procession in full uniform. On arriving at the place the heap was set fire to, but owing to the close way in which the heap was packed, some time elapsed before it could be made to burn, and when it did, it burned very slowly and unsatisfactorily. The firemen engaged to make the affair as successful as possilde, resorted to the dangerous expedient of pouring kerosene upon the burning heap, but for some time this had only the effect of producing a momentary blaze, which would subside aa soon as the kerosene was consumed. The firemen became more and more reckless, and continued pouring the kerosene on the heap with less apprehension at every unsuccessful

effort to make the five burn. One of then! ( mounted the heap with a tin teapot full of kerosene, ffotlring it upon the heap until it blazed up till round him, and he escaped unhurt. But Still the heap would not take lire as they wished. The bonfire, however, must be lit, they thought, at all hazards, and they became desperate, Utterly regardless of the risk they were running, and) it would almost seem, tempting destruction. A four-gallon tin of kerosene was brought into requisition, perforated at the top sO as to let the dangerous liquid escape on the fire; This was carried by one of the firemen, and placed on the burning heap, while the oil trickled through the holes in the till. It was left there for a few rninUteS) aild the heap blazed up more than ever, the fireman who left it there taking the precaution to get out of the way in case of an explosion. Unfortunately it did not then explode. Had it done so at the time, the dreadful calamity that followed might have been averted, though a few of those standing nearest the fire would doubtless have fared badly; A number of scorched hands and faces at least would certainly have been the result, but life might not have been sacrificed) at the worst; The flames again subsided on the slowdy burning heap as tins oil ceased to trickle on it. Lewis Wood, a prominent member of the brigade, then mounted the heap, took the can in his hands) mid commenced pouring the oil on the fire-. Presently an awful explosion took place. A dull sound like the booming of a distant cannon was heard, and an immense volume of flame Shot out among the crowd, scattering them in all directions in the Wildest Confusion and disorder. When the shock was over, and the great body of fire had to some extent cleared away, the unfortunate man Wood was seen rolling down the burning heap all in one sheet of flame. The oil had apparently splashed over his clothes, and as he emerged from the heap he was a living, moving mass of fire. He struggled on to his feet, and gained the open space vacated by the crowd; His cries of despair were something terrible to listen to, and the sight was one never to be forgotten. The bystanders stood horrified and looked aghast, unable to rescue him from the nlogt fearful of deaths. The unhappy man must have been on fire fully fifteeil seconds before even an effort was made to save him. All sorts Of suggestions rang through the crowd. “ Beat it out 1” “Cover him up !” “ Tear his clothes off !’* But the flames had got such a hold of his oil-saturated uniform, that the Work of putting them out was next to impossible-. Ho sank to the ground exhausted, burying his face in the hard earth to escape the torture of the relentless flames. Some of the firemen took off their coats and tried to beat the flames off) but they still clung to their victim, and it was not until he had been wrapped up ill several of the large coats of the firemen that the flames were subdued; His clothes were torn from his body, and Some patches of skin came off with them; More than half the em tire surface of his body was scorched, and the skin pealed off in large flakes. The poor man lay on the ground motionless, and apparently lifeless, his legs, arms, and face horribly Scorched, His heavy uniform had protected the trunk of his body, and his helmet had also prevented the flames front reaching his head, but his face was an awful sight to look at. He was conveyed to his home, where he lingered in indescribable agony till a few days after, when death put an end td liiS sufferings;

A Silver and Copper Mint.— ln the debate on Mr O’Neill’s motion for a further reduction of the gold duty, Mr Vogel after 1 stating that “ the House might put out of consideration the proposal to establish a gold mint,” went on to say:—“As for the lablishmCnt of a silver and copper mint, he might say that the Government did intend to bring in a measure authorising the establishment of one, but not this session, as they were not yet in possession of all necessary information upon the subject; There was no necessity for going farther into the matter 1 now, beyond saying that there was an absolute want of silver and copper coinage in the Colony, and that the Government believed they could supply it more cheaply by coining it here thail by bringing it out from England; This AvaS a very different proposal from that of establishing a mint to coin raw gold, and stamp it with a value which it ought to possess, but did not possess, from the buyers not recognising its proper value.” There’s a qileer thick Some amusing persons have got of using words they don’t by any niearis understand ; in especial, of airing foreign and dead language talk, just as if the corpse of any lingo was as good as the living aril breathing article. French lays bold of some tongues, Collingwood Italian of others, and Geelong of others ; but one and all try a dab at Lathi, How and again to perish in the attempt. “Come,” said a friend of uliile to another friend yesterday, “Come and take tea with Us this evening, without any ceremony. Doil’t put on any frills ; but just look round UpOil our little circle in pnris nainrnhbns The poor man had made an unsafe dash at the Latin, without knowing what it meant ; but the man he invited did know, and answered, “ Well, I don’t go out in that style myself, but I’ll send a substitute, an aboriginal in the Cool of the evening.”— John Pcenjhiwjle. One of the Auckland papers boasts of a runner who earns from 15s. to 20s. a week by collecting coppers, threepenny bits, and small change, and exchanging them with the hotcb keepers at a slight remunerative discount. This young boy can always oblige any publican or shopkeeper with ten shillings worth of coppers, for which he expects to receive toi shillings mid sispwiys-