Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-07-30
A MARVELLOUS ESCAPE.

About ten years ago / was employed
as night-watchman in sugar-refinery in
Greenock, q town where there are proba-
bly, more sugar-refneries than in any
other in Britain. That in which l was
engaged was the largest in the place, and
on account of its size there was another
Waterman besides myself. His name
was lakewood; he was widower; and
his only son, of about twelve, used often
to come and sleep in the little room
where we kept watch. There was a large
Newfoundland dog that was let loose at
night and used to walk all over the re-
finery, and was worth half watch
men. Our principal duties, OF course,
were to guard against thieves and fire
We went there at eight 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 watchmen. There was
fireplace in it, though there was never
any need of fire, for the sugar-house
was always so hot that any additional
heat was unnecessary Except two hard
wooden benches and shelf in the wall
for lamp, the room had no furniture.
There was no inducement for the watch
ers to go to sleep there. Blackwood's
boy, when he came for the night,
used to lie on some sacks and his fathers
great coat, in corner. Blackwood and
/ took in some cheap periodicals, and we
used to read from these, or 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 were 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
a very pleasant 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 calculated to refresh u.s. and we
could hardly keep our eyes open. We
tried reading, as usual, but it was USE
less. Before ten o'clock Blackwood had
fallen sound asleep. / determined to
keep awake, and intended, after couple
of hours or SO, to rouse my companion
and take sleep myself, for | felt it
would be impossible to keep watch all
night. | must, however, have fallen
asleep unconsciously, and have remained
SO for several hours. | dreamt that l
was in the cabin of the steamer in which
/ had been that day, and that it was full
of smoke, and that l was being suffo-
Gated, and could not get out. ! awoke
as if | were struggling for life, and found
the room filled with sitting yapor, and
felt an intense heat, and heard without
the cracking of flames. The sugar-house
was on fire.
Blackwood was still asleep, and woke
him up, and opened the door of the
room. A cargo of raw sugar and mo-
lasses had just been taken in, and this
was piled up on each side of the vaulted
passage that led from the main door to
the refinery. This mass was on fire, and
was sending out dense volumes of smoke ;
on the other side of us were wooden
stairs which led to various parts of the
building, and these were also in flames.
The refinery had evidently been on fire
for long time, and we could hear the
shouts of the people without. We were
surrounded by flames, and the heat was
so great that it was certain we could not
survive long. Blackwood and l looked
at each other in dismay. His boy APP
peared to be calmer than either of US,
and suddenly cried out: Father, the
beer-cellar"
The men who worked in the refinery
on account of the great heat to which
they were subjected, had a daily allow
ance of beer, which was kept in stone
cellar about twelve or fourteen feet
underground 1t was to this place the
boy referred The top of the stairs
| which led to it was surrounded by fire,
but we at once rushed to it and de-
| scended the steps. In passing the flames
| at the top of the stairs 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 it and burst it
open. How cool 1t felt after the fearful
| heat of the furnace we had just leftl
And how long would it remain So was
| the question that Blackwood and | con-
| sidered in few hurried words. We had
| hardly closed the door when we heard
the frightful crash of the falling roof of
the refinery, and pieces of burnt wood
came kissing and cracking down the
stairs. We rolled two barrels behind the
door, which we did not fear would catch
fire, as it was covered with iron, and then
we waited, while it began to grow hotter
and hotter. 1t was quite dark there,
although we were so close to the bright
flames l could hear Blackwood pray
ing as he knelt on the floor of the cellar
He was good man, believe, and well
prepared for the death that met him that
night. soon felt the burning 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 filing
the place where we were. The
floor sloped considerably and / re-
treated to the end farthest from
the door. The heat was growing in
tense, and the vapor was sitting. be-
came unconscious, and how long | re.
manned so l cannot tell When / re-
covered 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-engines, and
was lukewarm. / could not feel this
with my hands, as they and my face were
fearfully scorched, but l did so with my
tongue. / had called on Blackwood,
but there was no answer; and by wrig-
| Cling over with great pain for few
yards, ! found both he and his son living
| dead The scaldinp supar had reached