The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-12-01

a THRILLING INCIDENT.-The sub
joined incident is taken from the Chi
cagO ITibuge's report of the great
fire:
While Madison street., west of Dear
bon, and the west side of Dearbon
were all ablaze, the spectators saw
the lurid light appear in the rear
windows of Speeds block. Present
ly a man, who had apparently taken
time to dress himself leisurely, ap-
peared on the extension built up to the
second story of two Ofthe stores. He
cody looked down the thirty feet be-
tween him and the ground, while the
excited crowd at first cried jump, and
then some of them more considerate-
IL locked for a ladder. A long
plank was soon found and answered
the asme as the ladder, and was plac-
ed at once against the building, down
which the man soon after slid. But
while these preparations were going
on, there suddenly appeared another
man at the fourth story window of
| the building below, which had no
| protection, but flush from the top to
| the ground-fOur stories and q base
ment. His escape by the stairway
was evidently cut of, and he looked
| despairingly down the fifty feet be-
tween him and the ground. The
crowd grew almost frantic at the
sight, for it was only a choice OF
death before him-by fire, OF by be-
| ing crushed to death by the fall
| Senselees cries of jump Jump! went
up from the croWd-senseless but full
| of sympathy, for the sight was abso.
lutely agOnizing. Then for minute
or two he disappeared, perhaps even
less, but il seemed so long q time the
sUpposition was that he had fallen
| suliocated with the smoke and heat
But no; he appears again. First HI
throws q bed then some bedcloths
apparently why, probably even h,
does not know. Again he look
down the dread, sheer wall of fit,
feet before him. lie hesitates, anC
well he may, as he turns and look
behind him. Then he mounts thu
window sill. His whole form ap
pears, naked to the skirt, and hi
white limbs CLEAN against the darl
wall in the bright light as he swing
himself below the window. Some
hoW-hOW none can tell-he drop
and catches on the top of the win
dOWs below him, of the third story
lie stOOps and drops again, and seiz
es the frame with his hand, and hi
cleaning body once more straight
ems and hangs prone downward, an
then drops instantly and accuratel
upon the window sill on the thir
story.
A shout, more ofjoy than applause
goes up from the breathless crOWC
and those who had turnd away thei
heads, not bearing to lOOkupon as hiI
he seemed to drop to sudden and Gel
, tain death, glanced up at him ono
more, with a ray of hope, at this dal
nag and tkiilful feat. Into this Windo'
he Crept to look, probably, for a stall
. way, but appeared again present.,
! for here was the only avenue Of e.
2 cape, desperate and hopeless as
: was. Once more he dropped h
body, hanging by his hand. I'll
] | crowd screamed and waved to him {
= swing over the projection from WhiC
/ | tho other man had just been rescuet
= lie tried to do this and vibrated Iik
: pendulum from side to side, b.
could not reach far enough 10 thro7
, | himself upon its roof. Then he hun
by one hand and looked down; raj
ing the other hand ne took a fres
: hold and swung from side 10 side t
+ reach the roof. In vain; again
hung m0tienIess by one hand an
slowly turned his head over h
, shoulder and gazed into the abyss b.
! low him. Then gathering himse
up he let 90 his hold, and for a sc,
3 ond CLEAN Of white shot down fu
forty feet to the foundation of IL
basement. OF course it killed hin
e lie was taken to a drug store near
a and died in ten minutes.