TRAPPED BY FIRE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20026, 26 August 1939, Page 4

TRAPPED BY FIRE

MAN’S ORDEAL ON FARM BLAZING- ENGINE ROOM SEVERE BURNS SUFFERED BROTHER TO THE RESCUE (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. Trapped toy (burning .petrol in a small enclosed milking-machine engine room on his father’s farm, Frederick Barker Dawson, aged 26, single, a sen of Mr. and Mrs. IS. Dawson, of ißiverview, Mahrangi, about seven miles from Warkworth, had an alarming experience yesterday before he was rescued by his brother, Leonard Dawson. The victim suffered severe burns to his arms and legs and was brought to the Auckland Hospital, his condition being fairly serious. Directly outside the engine room stood a copper, under which a fire had been lit to boil water. The fire ignited petrol and the ilarpes sw-iftly ran- back to the drum in the engine room, which soon became enveloped in flames. The only exit was barred and Mr. Dawson was helpless to escape.

With great presence of mind he wrapped himself in. old coats which were hanging in the shed, thus saving himself from more extensive injuries.

The fire and Mr. Dawson’s predicament were first seen toy his mother, who drew the attention, of her other son. Leonard Dawson. He ran to the adjoining separator room, breaking a window to enter it and obtain an axe. With this he tore a sheet of corrugated iron off the outside wall of the engine room and rescued his brother, who was on the verge of collapse.