HEROIC DEATH OF A FIREMAN.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 94, 27 January 1872, Page 3

HEROIC DEATH OF A FIREMAN.

On Salurdny, 7th October, a fire was discovered on the premises of Mr Brown, chemist, 08 Gray’s Inn Road, Holborn. In a few minutes a fireman, named Ford, arrived with the escape. lie at once mounted his escape, and, assisted by a police constable, named Carter, brought down in safety five persons. Having placed the five upon the ground, frantic cries for help were again heard at tire same window. Ford again rushed to the top of his escape, seized a woman round the waist, and was in the act of bringing her down the machine, when the fire rushed through the first-floor window, and set the canvas shoot in flames, encircling the famalc and the fireman. He was obliged, therefore, to let go his hold of her, and she fell to the bottom, but, fortunately, sustained no other injuries than some slight bruises. The escape-man was not so fortunate, for the canvas of the machine was in less than a minute burned away, and the poor fellow became wedged in the wire net-work, where he was seen

plunging and kicking, with the fir© actually roasting him alive. By a desperate struggle he managed to break away the net-work, when lie fell ReaVily to the ground, unfortunately upon his head, with such force as to double up his helmet, and cause the brass to make a deep hole in the back of his head. The flames about his body having been extinguished, lie was at once removed to the Royal Free Hospital, where everything was done for him by the medical officers, hut he died in a few hours from the injuries lie had received. He leaves a wife and two children. All this was the work of about only five miuutes. A number of engines were soon at work, but the fire was not extinguished until the premises were burnt out and the roof destroyed. Tho houses on either side have also sustained damage by fire, water, and breakage. Police-constable Carter upon seeing the fireman wedged in between the wire-net-ting of the escape, found that his own exit by the regular means was impossible, and he slid down one of the lever ropes. In doing so the flesh was rubbed off his hands, but ho fortunately saved his life.