Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-11-02
A DEED OF NOBLE DARING.

The following deed of noble daring is
recorded as one of the events attendant
on the late destruction by fire Of the I'M
perial Theatre at Moscow:
From the suddenness Of this melancholy
occurrence, and from the number Of EN-
ployecs permanently living with their
families in the house, many lives were
lost. Three skeletons were found in the
ashes. Just at the commencement of the
fire, three workmen, who had been en-
gagged in the upper stories, finding no
means to descend by the staircase, so
rapid was the progress of the flames,
jumped out of the windows to the lower
roof, which, being of iron, soon became
SO intensely hot, that two of the unfortu-
nate beings, not capable of enduring the
heat, threw themselves to the ground.
and were killed by the fall. The third,
with more presence of mind, made his
way over protrnding broad cornices to
the front roof, and there remained for
some minutes, till the greedy element,
not content with the number of its VIC
Tins, made its appearance close by him
The poor man cried loudly for help.
Ladders were procured, but they did not
reach the height at which he stood. He
saw it, and raising his arms to heaven,
he made the sign Of the cross, and began
to approach the edge of the precipice be-
fore him. In an instant he would have
become q corpse. Thousands of people
stood all around gazing with horror at
the immense pile, upon which this poor
man remained helpless and hopeless.
Silence like that of the grave reigned
among the multitude. His fate seemed
inevitable. Suddenly was heard voice,
Stay moment, my good fellow, Pray
to God, and I'll endeavor TO save you ~
All eyes were turned to the spot from
which those sentences were uttered. A
group of three men were observed, com.
mon peasants: two of them holding by
the arm third, who was struggling hard
to break from the hold of his friend
Let me go, my lads" said he, "my
heart is burning within me; l cannot
bear the sight of Christian soul thus
perishing!" And with a-powerful effort
he broke loose and darted forward. The
dense crowd gave way as he ran to the
burning building, pulling from himself
and at the same tine throwing away, his
shool, (sheepskin) and his hat. In an
instant he was at the foot of the ladder
which did not reach at the utmost TO
two-thirds of the height at which stood
the victim. Having attained the other
foot-step, the generous man took hold OF
the rain-gutter. Apparently it was not
very safe means of assent, as it bent
and ratified under his weight. But the
man was resolved he made the sign oi
the cross, and began to climb up. A
cloud of sutfocating smoke whirled around
him the flames were fast approaching
burning timber; red-hot sheets of roof
ing iron were falling down from every
side; but what to him was all this! His
heart was burning within his breast he
could not bear the sight of Christian
soul thus perishing.
1t was frosty day; the rain-gutter
was cold as ice; his warm, sweaty
palms and fingers stick and freeze to the
iron tube; he tears them off, leaving
bloody marks at every hold, an ascends
higher and higher, till he puts his foot on
a projectingl cornice. From hence, by
means of the oven-fork, he handed the
rope to the poor man above him. "Tie
it fast to the hook that supports the gut.
ter. That's right. Now descend %
And he held the other end of the rope,
and preceding the man, still supporting
him down the gutter, placed him on the
ladder. The man was saved.
During all this time the multitude
stood breathless; but when they saw
them both out out of danger all hats
were taken off, and sign of the cross at
every breast testified general thanks
giving, and a loud shout approved the act
of generosity. Every one pressed for
ward to see the hero of this scene. The
first who approached him, an officer in
the army, gave him twenty-five silve,
roubles. The example was followed, no.
blemen, merchants, peasants, took out
their purses; some gave golden, some
silver coin; some threw into his hat Q
few copper copecks; all gave what they
could. "God bless you, noble friendi'
was heard from every side.
The name of this generous man is Bazi
Marin, native of the government O
Taroslaff. Being a roofer by trade, b,
Tor many years lived in st, Petersburg