MOTHER'S HEROISM

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 203, 17 August 1908, Page 4

MOTHER'S HEROISM

UiAWLS OYKIi ULTiXiXtI HOOF WITH IiAUY J.UICHTKK. Two children were burnt io death and another only saved by the mothers heroic efforts, during a lire at Kilburn. The outbreak occurred in a tailor's shop managed by .Mr. David .Miller. Above arc iwo s'lorcys, the upper of which wa, occupied by .Mr. Alfred Held, a draper's porter, his wile and three children. ■Shortly after two o'clock in the afternoon, Mrs. lie-id lound the room Idling with smoke. Hushing downstairs she warned Mis. -Miller and her lamily, who were at dinner in the basement. She then returned to her children upstairs. Meanwhile the next-dour neighbor, ■Mm llarnard, a fishmonger, and his assistant, named Deuuisli "had forced the side-door with a short pole, the shop door having been locked during the dinner hour. Thev rushed to the has'incnl. and assisted Mrs. Miller, who was ilia -late of collapse, to the back vara. Jly this time the building was' well iilignl. and .Mis. Jicid was seen frantically culling for help at the upper front window, and evidently preparing to jump. The crowd yelled to her to wait, shouting that the Jireuien wouta soon arrive. When they did arrive Mis lipid's po.silinn was a terrible one. Fseupe by the .staircase was out of Ihc question; it I'.ut the brave woman kept hor head. Taking her scvcn-months-old baby in her anus, and calling to her two boys to lollow her. .he groped her way through the smoke to the back. She placed one of the boys on the window-sill, but it was 100 hot for him there, so she put him on a chair near the window. Then she crawled out on lo the sloping roof with the baby in her arms. The slates were raUiol in places, luit she struggled on. carefully protecting the baby ■with her own arm, which was severely burnt. Cradually she worked slipping, but recovering lieiscn in miraculous fashion. When she arrived ai the u.g t ... i.. roof Oleic w,,s A S ll.u saoiK !■„.„ .1. crowd below, and the excitement was intense, as u was seen sue lu.eiiueii iU drop iiei inlaill ll'Olil the lijii .icigiu. .Ui-,s Faiiin Miller ran lorv.aiu, ..0... ing her skirl to tiu lull < xlcnt of her oiu- re-hoi arm-, an I by good eliair.c taught ibe mite. 'I hen the devote.! mother started to . crawl back to her bovs. t'.ut the journc, wa> inipo-ibl-. The sialic hli-ier-nl her Hell direcll,- .he lollched I hem. and her elm he. 1,,,-,,, -moiihloriiiL'. so | veluetaullv eimimh -!,,- hoi I" abandon j the idea. So -he .lambei-.-d over the I parapet and dropped. Her fall «alirokell bv I he people below, bill OllC ■■! I her leu. was injureii, while her amis were s'eteleh- burnt. ! - Yi'heii tin' lire had been got under lh- I bodie.. burnt almost lo a cinder, of ihu lw„ 1...v5. Frederick I live I and Charles j (lliri ,■■'. were found, on.' in I lie lui.-k | room and one in the fronl room.