The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-07-31
NEWS.
FRIDAY, JULY 81, 1874.
a lIAnvEI.OUs ESCAPE.

in Greenock, a town
where there are probably more
sugar-refineries than in any other
n Britain. That in which / was
engaged was the largest in the
place, and on account of its size
there was another Waterman be-
sides myself. His name was
lBlackwood; he was n widower,
and his only son, of about II, used
often 70 come and sleep in the lit
tie room where we kept watch. |
There was large Newfoundland |
dog that was let loose at night, and
used to walk all over the refinery,
and was worth half-a.dozen watch
men. Our principle duties, of
course, were to guard against
thieves and fire. We went there
at O'Clock at night, and stayed
till six in the morning, at which
hour the men came to their work.
The little room where we sat was
made especially for the watehmen.
There was a fireplace in it, Though
there was never any need of a fire,
for the sugar-house was ALWAYS SO
hot that any additional heat was
unnecessary. Except two hard
wooden benches, and q shelf in the
wall for lamp, the room had no
furniture. There was no induce
ment for the watchers to 90 to
sleep there. Blackwoods boy,
when he came for the night, used to
lie on some sacks and his fathers
great coat, in n corner. Black
wood and / took in some cheap
periodicals, and we used to read
these, or q newspaper, in turn,
till two or three o'clock. and then
we dozed, till it was time for us to
go. All our sleep had to be taken
during the day. There was cheap
trips on the Clyde in those days,
as there are still on Saturdays.
Blackwood had promised to take
his son sail, and asked me one
day If would accompany them.
did SO; and we went TO Loeb
Lomond, and spent very pleas
ant day, and returned just in
time TO go to the sugar-house. 1t
was hot weather at the time, and
having done without our usual
sleep, we felt very tired. The heat
of the sugar-house was not calcu-
lated to refresh us, and VIC could
hardly keep our eyes open. We
tried reading, as usual, but it was
useless. Before 10 o'clock Black
wood had fallen sound asleep.
determined to keep awake, and
intended, after couple of hours
Or so, to rouse my companion, and
take a sleep myself, for felt it
would be impossible to keep watch
all night. l must, however, have
fallen asleep unconsciously, and
have remained so for several
hours. ] dreamed that was in
the cabin of the steamer in which
! had been that day, and that it
was full of smoke, and that ! was
being suffocated, and could not
get out. j awoke as if were
struggling for life, and found the
room filed with sitting vapor,
and felt an intense heat, and /
heard without the cracking of
flames. The sugar-house was on
fire.
Blackwood was still asleep, and
i Knocked him up, and opened the
door of the room. A cargo of raw
sugar and molasses had just been
taken in, and this was piled up on
each side OF the vaulted passage
that led from the main door of the
refinery. This mass was on fire,
and was sending ont dense vol
ume of smoke; on the other side
of us were wooden stairs, which
led TO various parts of the build
ing, and these were also in flames.
The refinery had evidently been
on fire for long time, and we
could hear the shouts OF the peo-
pie without We were surrounded
by the flames and the heat was so
great that it was certain we conld
not survive long. Lakewood and
l looked at each other in dismay.
His boy appeared to be calmer
than either of us. and suddenly
cried ont: Father, the beer-cel.
larp
The men who worked in the re-
finery, on account of the great heat
TO which they were subjected, had
a daily allowance of beer, which
was kept in stone cellar about
twelve or fourteen feet undar-
ground. 1t was to this place the
boy referred. The top of the stair
which led to it was surrounded by
fire, but we at once rushed to 1t,
and descended the steps. In passing
the flames at the top of the stair,
my face was scorched and my hair
singed. The door of the cellar was
locked, but with the strength of
desperation, we dashed ourselves
against il, and burst it open. How
cool il felt, after the fearful heat of
the furnace we had just left! But
how long would IL remain SO, was
the question that Blackwood and /
considered In a few harried words.
We had hardly closed the door
when we heard the frightful crash
OF the falling roof of the refinery,
and pieces of wood came Kissing
and cracking down the stairs. We
rolled two barrels behind the door,
which we did not fear would catch
fire, as they were covered with iron,
and then we waited, while it began
to grow hotter and hotter. lt was
quite dark there, although we were
so close to the bright flames.
could hear Blackwood praying as
he knelt ON the floor of the cellar.
lie was a good man, ] believe, and
we'll prepared for the death that
met him that night. / soon felt the
choking stencil of burnt sugar, and
on putting my hand to the floor,
was burnt severely. The melted
sugar and scalding molasses were
flowing down the stair, and filling
the place where we were. The
floor sloped considerably, and re-
treated TO the end fartherest from
the door. The heat was growing
intense, and the Yapor was sitting.
| became unconscious, and how
long | remained so | cannot tell.
Whom 1 recovered my senses the
heat had not gone, and there was
about six inches of water in the
place where was lying. This had
come from the fire-engins and was
lukewarm. l could not feel this
with my hands as they and my face
were fearfnlly scorched, but did
so with my tongue. | had called
on Blacllwood, but there was no
answer; and by wriggling over
with great pain for few yards,
i found both he and his son lying
dead. The scalding sugar had
reached the place where they were
and had apparently stopped there.
l could feel the hard cake under the
water. | conjecturcd that they
like mvsnlf had hacome uncon