The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-12-02 00:00:00

MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.

At Wakefield. n Monday, at midnight, a small-pox
hospital which had been recently erected by the Cor-
poration was burnt to the ground, and two patients
and a nurse perishes in the flames.
The town is threatened with an epidemic of small-
pox, and being unable hi obtain any tenement for a
hospital, the Corporation decided to purchase two
military holiital tents, and a fortnight ago they were
put up in a part of the borough called Park Hills,
some distance away from any dwelling. The tents
were fitted up with stoves, ' ,ras, and every other con-
venience. and being made of double canvas, they were
exceedingly comfortable, and the people of the town
were just beginning to overcome their prejudice to
them when the present disaster occurred. One tent
was devoted to the nurses anti the other to the
patients. The inmates of the place on Monday night
were three patients, a young man named '1 yas, a
girl named Vickers, anti a youth named Nichols, and
the two nurses, Mrs. Idle and Mrs. Sykes. A little
before 12 ti'eltiek a policeman who patrolled the lane
close by to protect the tents and their inmates observed
a bright flame issue from the covered passage leading
from one tent to the other. The pe tide inside were
uttering piercing shrieks and evidently unable to getout,
awl on retching the place he out the canvas with a clasp.
knife anti made an opening through which Mrs. Sykes
and Nichols emerged in their night dresses. The flames
then spread with frightful rapidity, and almost at that
instant the patients' tent collapsed and overwhelmed
Mrs. Idle and the other occupants. In a few minutes
several constables and people from the neighbourhood
were on the spot, but all efforts to sive either life
or property were unavailing, and in about ten
minutes from the breaking out of the fire the place
VMS a complete wreck, everything combustible, except
the wisslen flooring, having been entirely consumed.
From what the survivors say it would appear that
Mrs. Idle fell a victim to her said-devotion. The
nurses go on duty alternately every eight hours, and
Mrs. Sykes says that about 12 o'clwic Mrs. Idle awoke
her and said she was afraid she was going to have some
trouble with Trus, as he was delirious and excited
and was throwing his bed.clothes in all directions.
Upon hearing this Mrs. Sykes insisted upon getting
up, tlosigh four o'clock was her time for going on
duty. When she reached the entrance to the
patients' tent Mrs. Idle came rushing towards
her in great alarm, holding a burning bolster
in her hands. Mis. Sykes cried out, " Save
the girl, while I undo the straps," and Mrs.
Idle went to the other end of the tent, and she never
saw her again. The boy Nichols says he WAS awakened
by Mrs. Idle shouting to him over the canvas which
ran down the middle of the tent dividing the male
and female portion!," Nichols, get up, the place is on
fire !" and stooping down to pick up his clothes he
pasted through an opening he saw near the door, and
thus escaped into the open air.
The bodies tif the three persons who were burnt were
during the night removed, horribly charred and dis.
figured, to the workhouse, whirls stalls Is a few hundred
yitrds front the idace. Mrs. Sykes and the boy Nichols
were taken to an adjoining inn until the arrival of a
cab. and then they were sent to the house of the father
of the latter.
That the lire was not attributable to either the
American cooking or the gas stoves is ei ident from the
fat that at the phice where they stand the flooring is
i
less burnt than n other places.