NARROW ESCAPE FROM FIRE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 40, 13 January 1880, Page 2

NARROW ESCAPE FROM FIRE.

« Early on Sund.iy Mr Loudon's ; ..promises had a narrow escape from destruc- • "tion by fire. It appears that about 2 o'olock he hai occasion to light a candle, and having done so placed it betweon a liven basket and the wall, on a table uoar the bed. About three quarters of an hour afterwards, v •he was awakened by Mrs Loudon, i-Jk-i*-noticed the linen basket and its contents on fire. Springing up at once, Mr Loudon gave his wife the wise injunction to keep . quiet, and not open the door on any account. Seeing then that tho paper on the wall was alight, and that the flames wore rapidly ascending towards fche ceiling, he seized the burning basket in his bauds and carried ifc iuto the centre of the room, dropping it on tho floor, aud covering tho burning mass with a blanket, whilst ho nt onoe returned^ to the wall paper, which wis now faujj^H alight, and after gre it effort e^UUJ^^H the fire by " pounding " tk^^^^^^^^H pillow. Turning round, !tf^^^^^^^^^|

baskeWtfnbeuig carried from the table to the wn&o of the room had set tho carpet ojx fire in several places, whilst the blanket thrown on the banket had burned through, and the whole mass w_s in flames. A moment's hesitation, ov a weak nerve, would probably have tesnlted in the destruction of the whole block, but we ate fclad to say Mr Loudon did not pause a moment, nor allow hia courage to fail. To seize the ■whole of the bedclothes and throw them on lhs burning mass was the work of an instant, and the blankets and sheets heing trampled upon, the fire was soon got under, and safety ensured. Mr London was severely burned, both hands and feet being terribly scorched and blistered in his conflict with the fire demon ; in fact, to such an extent, that for some time he will be unable to tc ear boots, whilst his hands are at present encased in bandages, skilfully prepared and tied on by Dr Barber. Had Mrs London not wakened up until ten minutes later, the parties might have been suffocated by smoke, and we should possibly have had to chronicle a dreadful catastrophe, perhap : s accompimied by 10. sof life. From such a calamity the^amilyhave been providentially delivered, and we are extremely pleased that the worst pains Mr Loudon will suffer are those from the burns upon his hands and feet. ,