A FIREMAN'S BRAVERY.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 177, 20 December 1876, Page 1 (Supplement)

A FIREMAN'S BRAVERY.

A striking instance of heroism was, brought under public notice at an inquest lielii at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, the other day. The deceased was a fireman, and he died in the performance of an act ot self-sacrifice that made him worthy of the proudest monument. There was a fire at Clerkenwcll, at the close of July, and George Lee, the hero ot this story, was there on duty. It was discovered that there were people in the burning building whose lives were in the greatest jeopardy. There was one especially, a girl in an upper room, and Lee gallantly ascended to the upper rooms, enwrapped in flames though they were, to attempt her rescue. He did all man could do; but he failed, and laid down his life as the penalty of his failure. What he did and how, let him describe in his own simple language, which he used as he lay on his death bed in tbe hospital to 'which ho was removed. “ When,” he said, “ I got into the room, it was full of smoke, and I saw a girl on the floor and crept to her, and taking her up in my arms, tried to make for the window. The heat overpowered me and I fell. I picked her up again, and again fell five or six times. After the last fall I threw her over my shoulder and managed to grasp the window, 1 never lost my hold of her from first to last. I managed to put her into the-shoot of the escape and threw'myself on the. ladder. She stuck, and I did my best to get her loose, but the flames were playing all around us.” Thus did George Lee grandly do his duty. History does not contain n. finer record of self-forgetfulness and staunch courage. He might Ijave saved.himself had he left the girl ere the flames gathered round him like a garment of fire; but his first thought was the salvation of the life of another, his own life being as nothing in the balance.

Captain Shaw said that after a very long experience he believed,this was the greatest act of bravery ever shown by any fireman in the world. This is strong language, but not a bit too strong, and few will be disposed to differ from the coroner’s opinion that the cool, dauntless bravery displayed by the deceased was a thousand times more noble than the valor of a soldier on the battle-field, where martial music and all the other accessories of strife were incentives to bravery. Lee, of course, was beyond the necessity of praise or reward; but there was one thing his comrades could do, and they did. The fire brigade, salvage _ corps, and : police gathered together to give the remains of the noble man a hero’s funeral; , and surrounded by the members of the service to which he did honor even in death, his body was committed ;to the tomb.