ESCAPE FROM INFERNO.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 February 1921, Page 8

ESCAPE FROM INFERNO.

■FALL INTO BURNING BUNKER. Feb. 8. The escape of Alfred Lewis, the refrigerating engineer of the cargo steamer Cornwall from what appeared certain death, on Saturday afternoon, is one of the most remarkable. The Cornwall, where she lay at her ■berth had been coaling, and the main bunker was nearly full. About noon on Saturday it was discovered that the coal in this bunker was on fire, deep down. The officers discussed the situation, and decided that an examination would have to be made. Lewis and MeHarg, the seventh engineer, volunteered for this work. Moving cautiously, they entered the bunker and started to walk across the heap of coal. Without a moment’s warning, the coal collapsed under them. The interior had been burnt out, and th&y were walking on a crust. MeHarg managed to retain his footing on a firm place, but Lewis was precipitated into a blazing mass of dust and smoke. It is estimated that he fell 25ft. It looked like the end of Lewis. Flames began to mount through the broken crust. MeHarg crept back out of the bunker and gave the alarm. The officers and men gathered, and some were for making an attempt to go down through the blazing coal and seek for the unfortunate man. But one look at the bunker was enough. It did not seem possible for Lewis to remain alive for two minutes down in that inferno. Still hoping, however, they went down to the bulkhead adjoining the bunker, and there, while standing wondering how they were going to recover the body, .they heard knocking. Lewis has since told that when he fell down amid tfie blazing coal he fought like a tiger for life. He knew that if he could reach the bulkhead he might have a chance, so he began to dig through the burning coal with his left hand. He tried to save his right, knowing that if he escaped a hand that had been used as a fire shovel would not be much use. He suffered torture, particularly in his mouth and lungs, but Jie somehow fought through to the bulkhead. He searched frantically, and fount! an airtrnnk—a small hole through the iron 1 plates. He lay down beside it, and breathed in the clearer air. Then he got a piece of coal and hammered on the bulkhead.

The men outside heard it and sprang to activity. They procured a bellows, and began to pump air through the hole to the man inside. Without question, tliis saved his life. But ho was frightfully burned, and his knocking wais getting weaker and weaker. Urgent messages brought two gangs of men with oxy>acetylene appliances, and they began to cut a hole in the iron bulkhead, After half-an-hour’s work a hole was made big enough to let a man get in, and he dragged Lewis, now unconscious, ito safety. He may recover, but his condition is still very critical. He certainft® t 0 r ‘ va '