Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-04-20

die" / Immediately opened the
door leading into the hall, and found
it filled with smoke. In the hope of
reaching the stairs and getting be-
low the smoke, which was suffocat-
ing, we tried to find our way on our
way on our knees. 1t was impossi-
BILE. After few steps my wife fell
on her face overcome, and I had to
literally drag her back into the
room as best could. The window
was opened top and bottom, and so
permitted the smoke to pass out I
then suggested that we should dress
ourselves, hoping and expecting that
rescue would present itself in some
shape from the outside. The heat
in the hall meanwhile broke the
glass in the transom, admitting a
large volume of smoke. Mrs. Stew
art became suddenly wild-I may
say frantic. Hope seemed dead
within her. The street below was
choked with people who could see
us plainly by the light in the room,
but from the sea Of upturned faces
there came no suggestion of escape.
81 made rope of edclothing-
three pairs Of blankets, two sheets
and counterpane-and spliced
them together in knots which
deemed secure. 1t was of sufficient
length to reach the ground, and, as
my wife sat on the windc w-sill, I
tied one end of the rope to her waist,
fastening the other to the centre.piece
of the window sash. How did / feel?
God knows how. l believed I was
letting her down to life and to stay
there and die. The smoke by this
time was down as low as our heads,
and l proceeded in the effort to low
er her to the sidewalk. Her last
words to me were, Let me down.
I cried, 'Good-by, my dear, forever
for never expected to see her alive
again. | believed she would be
saved by the means / had contrlved,
but | expected to be suffocated. l
had not lowered her more than six
or eight feet when she fell from
some cause almost. incomprehensi-
BILE to me. 1 sat down stunned, to
wait for death or until some relief
might come. / heard shouts from
the other side of the street. l went
to the window. People were calling
to me to pull up the rope of bed
clothes which l had thrown out
when my poor wife fell almost out
of my arms, as it were. I did SO,
and found rope attached. | put
on glove to prevent friction, threw
my wife's diamonds-worth S., 1000
and jewelry into the middle of the
bed, got out of the window, adjusted
my legs sailor-fashion round the rope
and slid down in safety to the
sidewalk.
"About half an hour elapsed be-
tween my wite's falling from the
rope and my reaching the ground.
l found that she had been taken to
the st. James, and from there she
was removed to Mrs. Davis board
ing-house on Walnut street, where
she died in about three hours and a
half. She was conscious only for a
moment to know me, and that about
an hour before her death. She show
ed no signs of broken limbs, al
though she fell full sixty feet. She
died from the horror of the shock
and internal INJURIES
GEORGE FRANK GoULEY.
No one who perished by the fire
was SO well known in this city and
State as George Frank Goulcy. His
body was found on the sidewalk of
the Walnut street front with skull
fractured, chest crushed, and one
arm and one leg broken. 1t was
soon taken charge of by friends.
Mr.. Gouley had dressed and found it
impossible to make his escape
through the house full of smoke and
flame. He then returned to his room
and raising the window, waved his
arms and called to the then scattered
people in the street below. An at
tempt even to throw water to reach
him was useless. One or two of his
acquaintances who happened to be
there and knew his room, recognized
him. All other means of escape be-
ing cut off it was evidently his pur-
pose to attract the attention of the
Fire Department to his situation, and
possibly get a ladder raised for his
release. But the ladders were too
late coming. Mr.. Gouley was driv-
en- into the window for air, and final
ly becoming suffocated lost con-
sciousness and fell out of the Win
dow into the street.
MRS. G. F. GoULEY
escaped unhurt, and owes her safety
to her GOODNESS and presence of mind
in the hour of imminent peril. She
and Mr.. Gouley had spent the even
ing pleasantly together, laying plans
for trips and excursions, and visiting
new places next summer. Mrs. Gou-
ley was awakened by the smoke.
She aroused Mr.. Gouley, and the two
began to make preparations to leave
in case of danger. Both were calm
and collected, and apparently in
equal readiness to leave. The smoke
became sutfocating. Mrs. Gouley
saturated a towel with water and
placed it over her head and face, ad
vising her husband to do the same
and follow her. She left the room
supposing he was at her back. 1t
was total darkness, but she found
the head of the stairs, which was
near at hand, and began her descent.
At the first landing she called to Mr..
Gouley to come on, and voice fur
ther down said "Come." She sup
posed it was that of Mr.. Gouley, who
had probably passed her i'll the dark
ness. She went on and was met by
Mr.. Miles, manager of a Cincinnati
theatre, who commenced hurrying
her along out of danger. She would
have gone back after Mr.. Gouley,