COURAGEOUS ATTEMPT TO RESCUE A MAN IN A BURNING KILN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 20, 10 June 1871, Page 3

COURAGEOUS ATTEMPT TO RESCUE A MAN IN A BURNING KILN.

A frightful and fatal accident occurred at the Walker Iron Works (Messrs Losh, Wilson, and Bell’s) on Sunday afternoon, to a laborer named Alexander Gall, employed at the works. Gall, it appears, on the afternoon in question was “ tipping” ironstone into the •* mine kilns” at the blast furnaces, and while drawing a laden waggon to the mouth of the furnace, accidentally slipped his foot and fell headlong down the mine, a depth of about 30 or 40 feet, as it was only half filled at the time. The furnace was not in full blaze at the moment, but the heat, smoke, &c, coming up was very great. Gall’s mates, of whom there were about a dozen near at hand, on observing the accident got on to the top of the gearing and shouted loudly for help. There happened to be just then a number of people on the landing stage at the Low Walker station for the Tyne General Ferry Company’s boats, and several of them hurried on the instant to the scene of the accident. Amongst those was a man named Stephen Hodge, late of the Royal Navy, but at present employed by Messrs Ravenhill, Hodgson and Co., engineers of London, putting engines into the Mastiff and Bulldog, a couple of gunboats Messrs Mitchells are building for the Government. When Hodge got to the brink of the mine he found that no attempt had been made to extricate Gall. He at once got a couple of ladders tied them together, and with a rope round his body descended into the mine, where Gall was lying, having previously arranged to be drawn up by signal. On first going down he managed to stay in the burning kiln five or six minutes, at the end of which time, finding himself gradually losing his consciousness he signalled, and was drawn up. After regaining consciousness he went down the shaft a second time, and when again pulled up he brought Gall with him, who, however, by that time was dead. Hodge was at once taken to his lodgings, where he remains in a precarious state, the consequence of his brave efforts to rescue Gall. He has in his possession two medals which were presented to him on separate occasions for risking his life on behalf of others,—** Newcastle Express,”