Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-10-22
A Curious Story from Maine About
the Fall River Fire.

The editor of the Brunswick (Me. TEL
egrdph, himself a trustworthy man, in a
recent issue of his paper tells the follow
ing:
On Monday last we called on Mr. John
Fitzgerald, the well-known temperance
lecturer diving on Bank street,, who is
confined to his bed, quite feeble, but still
able to converse briefly with friends who
call. At this interview he related to us q
remarkable experience, for so we call it,
through which he passed on Saturday
morning, 10Th ultimo, the day upon
which the fire occurred in Fall River,
Mass. Mrs. Fitzgerald had arranged her
husband for his morning nap, and left to
enter the stable, in the rear of the house
and attached thereto; almost as soon as
she had passed into the building she
heard the cry of " fire." in tones so start
ling that she rushed back to the house in
the greatest alarm, to hear her husband
repeat the cry in tones as loud as the fire
call-all the more startling to her, as for
several days he had not spoken above a
whisper; be was evidently greatly ex-
cited, catching at the bedclothes and at
tempting to get out of bed, saying he
must have his clothing Mrs. Fitzgerald
asked her husband: What does this
mean?"
Write" says Mr.. Fitzgerald, there
is fire in a factory in Fall River, Mass
in the upper story, the muleroom; see
the sparks flying from the machinery as
sparks fly from grindstone when men
are grinding their tools, and the factory
is full of women and children. | see it
ALL"
Mr.. Fitzgerald remarked that his wife
must tell US the rest, which she did sub
stantlally as follows-put in as brie. a
form as possible, as our only object is to
make plain recital of what we heard in
the course of conversation. Mrs. F'itZ
gerald then went on to remark that her
husband all the time was endeavoring to
get up from bis bed to escape the fire.
saying that it was near to him, and he
must assist the poor people-close that
door into the entry or the women and
children will be burned to death-an old
sailor, he could rig better ladder than
that-splicc this, splice that-don't jump
from the windows (this expression oft
repeated), for it is only a choice Of death
between fire and being crushed upon the
pavement-to the tiremen, why do you do
this and why do you do that--see those
poor women and little children filing the
room, and yet the laws of Massachu-
setts forbid the employment in factories
OF children under certain age. Mrs
Fitzgerald was alone with her husband
and eNerted her utmost strength to keep
INN IN bed. 1t seemed to her almost an
age, but she took no note of the time.
All at once Mr.. Fitzgerald fell back upon
the pillow and said 1t is all over, the
roof has fallen in, and those poor people
are burned" After that he was complete
~ Frustrated; and Mrs. Fitzgerald for
some time feared that he would not re-
cover from the shock
Mr.. Fitzgerald said he never thought
OF looking at his watch, but that he saw
the IRE in the morning somewhere from
seven to nine O'Clock 1t was not until
Monday that Mrs. Fitzgerald heard of
the IRE, and not until Tuesday, 22d that
she got paper with an account of it.
This she read to her husband: he several
times stopped her and told her what was
70 come in the newspaper account, as
he had seen it all" Subsequently, Mr..
fitzgerald repeated somewhat, and said
saw the fire, but somehow could not
Tel the building, and it must be fac