Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-02-01
THE FRIBOURG FIRE.
Thrilling Scene-Maternal Devotion
Exempli6ed.

The Fribourg (Switzerland) cores
pondent of the London Standard, after
describing the recent conhagration in
that city, relates the following act of
bravery and self devotion on the part
of woman: Hitherto | had looked
upon the scene, awful as it was, as be-
ing simply case If destruction of
property, as / had been told that the
people who lived in the houses had
succeeded in =. escaping Suddenly,
however, from one of the front win
dows on the third story l heard crash
of glass, and looking up l saw wo-
mans face-such face as | never care
to see again 1t was dreadful in its
agony. Screaming to the crowd below,
she seemed to feel that she was too
high for them 20 hear her, and the flames
as she stood at the window came licking
up the wall, as though they felt she
was already given up to them. What
she said, or attempted to say, no one
ever knew but the crowd gazing up
from below saw her, and hoarse roar
came from them which seemed to
reach her and to give her encourage
ment. Wildly waving her arms. she
disappeared for moment, and then
reappeared at the window with a little
child in her arms. In England fire.
escape would have been reared against
the wall Of the house, and a fireman
would have brought down the woman
and child-not, perhaps, without some
difficulty, but still without any very
great danger, provided he could have
kept out of the way OF the flames,
which were darting out of the windows
of the lower stories; but in Switzerland
no such things as tire-escapes exist
There are willing hands and brave hearts
and that is all. What, then, can be
done Are the people to see the wom-
an and child roasted to death under
their very eyesl But they are far be-
low, and the fiery flames are creeping
up the out walls and windows, and al
ready the woman has to draw back her
burden as the fire comes nearer and
nearer. From below all access is cut
Off The staircases are simply masses
of red hot stone, where no one can live
for a moment What can be done Just
then tremendous cheer broke from
the crowd below, the reason for which
L
only continue to look with horrible
dread upon the sight, for | knew that
unless hope came within few minutes
it would come too late. But help did
come-though, to me, from somewhat
unexpected quarter The house where
| the woman and child were standing was
! the last one which had taken fire, and
the adjoining one had an iron balcony,
| from which fireman, seeing the dread
| full danger, and cheered by the crowd,
attempted to throw rope to the wo
man. But it was very difficult for her
| to catch it. -Four times he threw it,
and each time he threw it we saw it fall
past the window, though it was pitiful
to see how eagerly she tried to catch
it. But the fifth time she was success
full, and tying the rope tightly around
the child's body, she slung it out of
the window, and it was slowly but safe
ly drawn into the adjoining house. Di-
rectly she had done this the woman
disappeared from the window, but al
most Immediately returned with an
other child, and by the same means
she succeeded in saving her second
charge. But in saving the lives
of those two children the brave woman
had got terribly burned. The
flames had been creeping up nearer and
window tying the children tongue OF
fire would often leap up and eneircle
her, but she never finched. Wrapping
the child she held in her arms tightly
in wooden cloak, so as to prevent the
flame touching it, she would stand
quietly bearing the fire until it had
once more gone down, and then she
quickly proceeded with her work. But
now it seemed too late to save the
woman herself, for the fire had reached
the store of wood at the top of the
house, and the roof was III flames. Her
hands and her arms, too, were terribly
scorched. and we feared she would never
be able to hold the rope. But as the cord
was thrown her, the people raised a
tremendous cheer as though to encour-
age her, and catching it at the first at
tempt, she managed to fasten it round
her body, and throwing herself ont of
the window, she was gradually lowered
into the street, and carefully taken to
the hospital, where she at present lies
in dangerous condition. There have
been many cases of devoted heroism
in times past, but know of none more
noble than this of simple servant
girl, who not only risked her own
fei, but stood such dreadful torture in
order to save the lives of the children
under her charge, and [ gladly give
her name. It was Anna Albitz, of
Birkendorf. The Swiss people are a
warm hearted race, and the devoted
conduct of the girl seems to be fully
appreciated by them. The whole press