The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-03-12
AThrilling Scene.

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The large and fashionable board
ing place known rs prospect
Place" atsthe corner of Prospect
and Sheriff streets, Cleveland, Ohio,
and lately occupied by Mr.. Laman,
present proprietor of the Van Mar
ter House was totally destroyed by
fire recently. When the fire began
there was nearly one hundred per-
sons in the building, many Of whom
were rescued by means of ladders
and ehe gallantry of the esfremen One
human being was burned to cinders.
One of the most thrilling scenes of
the OCCASION is thus described by
the Leader. ts<sseaI5aE 1srr $50
Mr.. Lemon familliarly called
aRod" we we'll knew him as noble
boy in Canton, @ and is the son of
a most excellent citizen, Mr.. w.
Lemon. The Leader says:
In a room in the fourth story, at
the northeast corner Of the building
lay Samuel Lemon, a member of the
Fire Department, with a broken leg
utterly helpless. It will be remem-
bered that he received his injury
while at hispost, two or three weeks
since, at fire at Bousfield & Poole's
wooden ware manufactory. The
firemen all knew ofthe perilous con-
dition of their comrade, and as soon
as all the ladies were safe they
sprang with united effort to his res
cue A ladder forty feet in length
was placed to the window, and two
or three men, one a gallent member
of the police force, mounted the diz-
zy height. From the window of the
room the smoke was issuing in con-
stantly increasing volumes, and it
was evident that there was no time
to be lost. When they entered
where he lay almost within the grasp
of the monster, he was calling loud
ly for" Zones boys" he belongs to
Steamer No. l., and when they
spoke to him, although he could not
see them through the smoke, he
knew the,yoices and burst out "Bully
I'm all right now! I knew you
wouldn't leave me here to die!"
But how should the poor helpless
man with his limb in splinters, be
saved? For him to descend the lad
der covered with ice was simply inn
possible, and to attempt to bear him
down in their arms seemed extreme
ly hazardous. But the roaring flame
which was rapidly approaching gave
not moment for delay, and the
long rope Of the hook and ladder
company was passed up. With sim
gular GOODNESS Lemon fastened it
around his body below the
arms, remarking that he would trust
no one else to tie the knot He
then got out on the sill of the other
in the room that the rope
might pass around the intervening
wall and those upon the ground
might regulate his descent. When
all was ready he cleared the sill,
grasped the rope above his head
with one hand and started upon his
perilous aerial trip. The courage
and endurance of the suffering man
had not failed him through the try
ing ordeal, and he repeatedly shou
ted cheerfully to clover away fast
er p as he swung like a pendulum
through the clouds of smoke which
at times almost concealed him from
sight. At length he reached the
ground in safety, and was received
in the sturdy arms ,ofhis comrades.
He was laid upon a mattress which
had been provided for him, and
when he knew that he was safe, the
reaction came and he well-nigh fain-
ted from the. terrible excitement
which he had passed. Hel
was borne to house. near by and
kindly cared for by tender hands.
In less than ten minutes from the
time he was taken from his bed, the
flames we're bursting through the
and a portion of the wall
fell in with tremendous crash,
upon the spot where he was lying.