Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-01-18
Thrilling Scene-iier0ism OF Servant
Girl.

Thrilling Scene-iieroism Of Servant
Girl.
THE Fribourg lSwitZerland) correspond
ent OF the London St0Hddfd, after describ-
Ing the recent contlagratlon IN thatclty,
relates the following act OF bravery and
sclfdevotion on the part OF woman,
+" Hitherto | had looked upon the scene,
awful as it was, as being simply case OF
destruction Of properly, Is ! had been
told that the people who lived in the Houses
had succeeded in escaping. suddenly,
however, from one Of the front windows
on the third story, heard crash of glass,
and looking up ! saw a woman sface-
such face as ! never care 10 seeatgain.
1t was dreadful in its agony. SCREENING
to the crowd below, she seemed to feel
that she was too high for them - hear
her, and the flames, as She stood at the
window, came licking up the Wall, as
though they felt she was already dven up
to them. What she said or attempted to
say no one ever knew; but they who
stood gazing up from below saw her, and
hoar,e roar came from them which
seemed 10 reach her and To give her en-
couragement. Wildly waving her arms,
she disappeared for a moment, and then
reappearcd at the window with little
child in her arms In England q ire
escapc would have been reared against
the wall of the house, and IRE
man would have brought Gown
The woman and child-not, perhaps,
without some difficulty, but still without
any GREAT danger provided he could rave
~. e ti,a flames ATrH
were darling out of the windows OF the
lower stories; but in Switzerland no Nch
things as tire-escapes exist. mere are
willing hands and brave hearts, and that
is all. What, then, can be doEeF are
the people to see the woman ana ara
roasted 10 death under their very cyes:
But they are far below, and the 1eFy
flames are creeping up the "ter
walls and windows, and already the Mo-
man has to draw back her burden a. me
fire comes nearer and nearer. IRON De-
low all access is cut off. The siairtascS
are simply masses Of red-hot stone, where
no one can live for moment. ha, can
be doEeg Just then tremendous dleef
burst from the crowd below. tho reason
for which could not understand, all 1
could only continue 10 look with horrible
dread up6n the sight. for knew thai I'M
less belp came within few minutes 1t
would come too late. But help did cone
though tome from a somewhat unexpected
m,arter The house where the woman
and child were standing was the last OF
those which had taken fire, and the ad-
Joining one had an iron balcony, from
which fireman, seeing the dread.
fnI danger. and checred by the cnwd,
attempted to throw a rope To the woman.
But il was very difficult for her to eaten
n Four times he threw IL, and each time
we saw it fall past the window, th0Lgh IL
was nitiful to see how eagerly she tlied to
get hold of il. But the fifth time SIC was
Successful, and, tying the rope tightly
round the child's body. She swung out
of the window, and il was sloWE but
safely drawn into the adjoining house.
Directly she had done this the womsn dis
apneared from the window, but ilmost
Immediately returned with another child,
and by the same means she succeeded IN
saving her second charge But IN ttylng
the lives of these two children the brave
woman had got terribly burned. The
flames had been creeping up neard ana
nearer To her. and, a. she stood 81 the
window tying the children, tongue OF
fire would often leap up and encirde her,
but she never fi;nched. Wrapping the
child she held in her arms tightly IN a
wooden cloak, so as to prevent the name
touching il, she would stand quietly bear
ing 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 Iiie nre
had reached the store of wood at the
top of the house, and the roof vas in
flames. Her hands and arms, too were
terribly scorched, and we fearfd she
would never be able 10 hold the rofe. But
as the cord was thrown TO her, thepeopie
raised tremendous cheer as though to en-
courage her, and, catching it at the hrst
attempt. she managed to fasten it around
her body, and throwing herself oni OF the
window, she was gradually lower.d into
the street, and carefully taken to the hos
pital. where she at present lies in . dan
rerous condition. There have been many
cases Of devoted heroism in tim0 past,
hut / know Of none more noble than this