The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-05-20

THE London (Eng.) Times gives the
following thrilling account Of the recent
escape OF q mother and her seven chill
dren from the fourth story Of burning
building in that city:
one Of the most exciting scenes that ever took
place In the metropolis '7as witnessed at fire
In Holborn, when seven children and their
fre-escape men. The place then Ss re-
manned 10 the care of man and his wife. who
the @ tn. are blessed with the unusual
number of seven children-all boys-and at
the time tho flre broke out Mrs. Parsons aud
her sons were the only occupants OF the build
ing. These little ones, gossip ran, were en-
gagged in q game Of horses in the top rooms
when the fire was first discovered. The young
men engaged at Messrs. NEIGHBOUR & Sons
business, which Is Immediately opposite,
stated that the fire was first seen coming APP
parently from the warehouse at the back. but
ct present It ie impossible to state precisely in
flames attracted also the attention of people
passing in the street, and an alarm was at once
raised. The children playing in the top Of the
of dense smoke rising They ran to their
mother, who at once became conscious that
the place was on fire; ct the same time she
aFirel" rising from the street. instantly she
prepared to escape, but the smoke filled the
stairway, and to her dismay she saw that there
the vt S
in the street, was appalled, BY seeing small
window ON the fourth door thrown open. and
the figure Of q woman appearing with baby
were beside her, screaming for help. The
flames had broken out in the rooms on the
ground floor and curled upward; every mo-
ment was an age of agonized suspense. and
every one felt it was race between deliver
ance and death. The approach of the Hart
street escape was heralded by longcontin-
came in sight, swinging with the hot speed at
which 1t was driven, tremendous shout was
raised. MrS. Parsons face was seen turned
were distinctly heard above the roar Sa below,
shouting Justify with joy. The escape Was well
manned. There were four brave little BRASS
helmetsd fellows in cnasxe of. Of II ts and they
distinguished themselves BY their coclness
curing snns o the exciting o scene o which ,, fot
In placing the escape in position and
raising the upper ladder to the window; then,
with well-trained GOODNESS and admirable dis
der. First of all, a short, 1.-THE, black-haired
man, with arms and shoulders all sinew,
mounted the ladder and reached the window,
street. Metcalf followed, and placed himself
q few feet below Ruby. The next to ascend
was Z. Davis. who stood third on the ladder;
10
rungs up the ladder: On the body of the lad
der stood B. Barford, sturdy civilian; and in
the street, beside the ladder, Richard Jones,
s IN
time than 1t has taken to write these words:
and the fourth shiny helmet was hardly in
position before Ruby was seen with one of
the lads in his arms. He descended q few
steps and handed his burden to Metcalf; and
Metcalf, in like manner descending . few
rungs, passed the lad to Davis, by whom he
hon TN h<ov daH
to BarfOrd, by whom he was finally transferred
TO Dick Jones, who raced with the lad into the
open door of the Princess Louise. second.
next sixth lad was brought out of the win
dow, and passed from hand to hand, until
finally Jones raced with each to the public
were breaking out in fresh places and appear
ing through the roof, and the very room from
whence the children were being brought APP
80 pe ON s # ae
street, and the cheers and shouts were such as
could never before have been heard by those
men But neT
and the mother and the babe were left, but
the excitement became painful as the
people wondered whether, after all. the
brave fellows were equal to the work before
them. Mrs. Parsons seemed to hesitate, but
the next instant she was seen to give the baby
heroic fellow. She stood for a moment with
clasped hands and a look of agony on her face
as the baby was passed rapidly from arm to
arm. There was no TINE to be lost. The fire.
man had no sooner handed the child to Met
calf than he was back again at the window,
and in few seconds Mrs. Parsons was clasped
ing a few rungs, the poor woman was received
by Metcalf, and he, brave man, slowly de-
scending bore her himself down the ladder
until he reached Barford, by whom she was
passed to Jones, who carried her into the
Princess Louise, where she found all her little
ones safe and sound. Such q greeting took
place as few mothers, under similar peril,
have ever been suffered to enjoy.