Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-03-17
5fiscellamp.
Facing Death.

most men who embrace this occupation
this is probably one of the attraction
!, that hold them in the service. Thel
can be no doubt that most persons wh
perish in fires are killed by the smok
rather than by the flames. There
comfort in this thought, for suffocatio
is far more merciful death than burr
ing.
In the following extract an Englis
fireman gives his experience of the e
feet of smoke at his first fire: A ma
from one of the other stations wa
brought from the burning building reg
ularly dead beat, and could Just gas
out that he believed two of the sho,
girls were in the room that he had Jus
come out of, beaten back by the hea
and smoke. That was enough for me
| dips my ocket-handkerchie in water
sticks it in my belt, so as to be handy
mounts the ladder, and creeps into the
room
threw myself fiat, and though it was
dreadful hot, | managed to keep pretty
well under the smoke. Opening my
eyes just for an instant. / caught sort
OF glimmer of something white, and
wriggHng myself to it, / found it was one
of the girls, who was, of course, quite
insensible. | got good hold of her
and then taking suck at my handker-
chief, made my way back, and put her
into the escape. | stepped out for a
second or two, just to get breath, and
then | went to try for the other poor
girl.
| worked myself across the room with
out feeling anything, and then, the heat
having got unbearable, began to make
my way back as fast as | could, and had
got nearly to the window when | put
my hand on the girl, grabbed her, but
found that by this time / was too weak
to work her along lying down, as l had
done the other, so hoping L might be
able to stagger a few feet to the window,
| rose to my feet; (; but the smoke f1oored
me IN an instant. | dropped senseless
with her in my arms, and knew no more
till | found myself coming to, in the
open air.
How had | been saved Well in this
way. Fastened to the top of the escape
is lifeline, which we take in our hand
when we 60 in among the smoke, SO that
we may guide ourselves back by it. /
had stuck hard to this, and when went
down had given it such jerk, that the
man who was on the escape watching
for me guessed pretty well how things
had gone, and hauling in steadily,
brought us both into sight, and then,
making dash at us, managed to get us
into the escape just in the nick of time,
for the flames burst through, ceiling
high, as he was clearing the window"
This was narrow escape, but not
more SO than many which firemen have
experienced. The following, for in
stance, is by no means an unusual oc-
currence
Not long ago | was at work in
fourm mill that had been burnt out The
floors were fre-proof ones, and the build
ing was reckoned uncommonly strong,
and certainly looked it, Well, another
man ano | were working on one of the
hoors, when the hand that was carry.
ng round the refreshments came and
asked us if we wanted anything.
We both said no, and he turned away.
'ut before he had gone many feet l al
cred my mind and thought l would
ust take drop of something TO drink,
or working in fred building is a hot
'erth, let me tell you, even after the
ire has been put out so l stepped after
i'm, and he was just filling me out a
lass of water when there came crash
Ike clap of thunder, just behind me- !
nd turning round, / saw-as soon as
he dust cleared away bit-that the
uilding had fallen in just where 1 had
cen standing not minute before. f.,
The other man lay buried in the ruins c
.one dead, as | would have been if | h
adn't, by the merest chance, happened .
} move. My heart went cold as | saw r
hat narrow escape l had had. IId
lought how true it was what the Scrip
Ire says One shall be taken and the i,
her left .
That's always the text think of when n
see thing of that sort. l might have G
epped into a danger just as / stepped 9,
1t of it. Such things look all chance. n
ut we are all in the Masters hands, to h
; taken or left as He may see fit. It's A
thought often gives me heart when I'm f.
,out anything that looks particularly :
AT late prayer meeting in St Louis K,
Ie of the brethren directed attention to al
stranger who was sitting by himself m