Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-06-14
A TlIusyiLLE HERO.

Iasfed In appalling constituents u,
terrible visitation ut Tltu.ville, Pa.
The comblnalipn-fre aud iood--was
unusual. Asa rule the one element
acts In opposition TO the other, bat In
this instance the flames from burning
oil acted a. an auxiliary to the seeth'
Ing waters In prosecuting the work Of
destruction.
Such an occasion furhisheds u excel
lent opportunity for courageous men to
exhibit heroic qualities. This manly
manifestation was made In numbers Of
instances. IL often happens that hero
ism Ia shown by persons from whom II
Ia least expected. This appears to have
been the case with John Mclaughlin,
whose brave explilts, In saving the
lives Of people In imml ncnt peril dur
ing the reign OF food AN fire at Titus.
vile, are thus graphically related by
the New York World
Among the horocs John Mclsug him
Is porhap. entitled to tirt neuton. Big
aud brawny Is Jack Mclaughlin,
lie has made competency digging oil
wolls, and exposure has Redeemed the
nno face with II. blue eyes. His rod
mustacho aud red hair are sprinklcd with
gray. 4 simple, patient, lovable man is
'Blg jack with qu lot, sluggish ways,
who ha. lived thirty.nino years unmind-
ful Of chafing. It was good'naturcd
chaning, for everybody loved him. They
didn't know Jack Mclaughlin until the
Hood.
"on Saturday night Mclaughlin
.trolled up to Church Run to watch the
little Hood there. As ho came back he
crossed Martin street lie heard people
were In danger aud no went down. a
young man named Lolpleln asked him to
help bring out his mother and sister.
Thoy had been driven to tho upper floor
OF tho house, which was sky feet away.
aud the water was ave feet deep. Me-
Laughlln wadcd out To the house. lie
climbed up pile Of driftwood ON to the
shed. He took the sister ont Of the
gable window and waded ashore with her.
"IIe returned for the mother. She l. a
large woman, weighing 200 pounds. Jack
himself weighs go pounds. Tho drift
wood broke away under tho grea,
weight, and both were plunged into he
water. They iioundcred about, but Me-
Laughlin found his footing, aud carried
the woman ashore. Thon he wadcd out
again to sec II any one else wanted to be
iakonashotc, but tho people refused to
leave their houses.
"lIo heard that help was wanted at
South Franklin street People tried to
stretch life ropes there but they wcro not
successful.
Mclaughlin ran up to a hardware
store and bought balls OF twinc. lilo
found ball player and told him to
throw II rs far ~ be- could. Tho limo was
caught and ropes hauled out.
Then Mclaughlin heard that people
were IN danger at South Washington
street. 1t was Q o'clock whom no got
there. Then the fire broke out
In that fierce, rcd glow, ho saw hun
dred, Of people across the black waters
which rushed along. There WAS no soul
among all those people but know the
danger Of an oil hrc.
"shrleks foso above the roar Of tho
firo and water. Then would come u
moment Of silence and those on the
shore know tho voices wero forever
stllod.
Two hundred yards away Mclaugh-
lin saw CHASTITY faces against tho black
inachino-shop. There were children
thorc, and Mclaughlin has three chill
tren.
"Ho know that no man could live In
that raging torrent with his own efforts.
Iifc lines must be stretched.
zone OF his balls Of twino was thrown
to u man who was In coal car. lie
caught II aud drew over tho rope, fas,on-
ing II To tho brake rod. Tho other end
was tied to tho opera house stonos steps.
"McI.Aughlin called to the man on tn,
car TO throw the ball OF Irvine over In the
Hood 70 II could noat down to tho ma
chine shop. There u man caught II ant
made II fast.
"whilo they were doing this Molaugh
: lin saw ten or twelve people on n piece oil
; sidewalk ON tho corner Of Mcchanl,
, aud Washington streets. The house be-
2 side them was aflame, They tloatod OF
4 their sidewalk raft to the machine shop.
= "llc saw mon and children dropping
from trees into tho water and floating tC
the shops. Two men plunged into ih,
H. water and made their way TO the shop
Mclaughlin took oil his coat aud wadcc
:, into the water.
ale felt his way along, carefully
avoiding debris which shot past him. A
= the mill race he struck current which
> carried him OFT his feet aud hc sank. Bu
= he had firm hold OF the rope. Acros
i the railroad track hc struck another eur
h ront. There were no Tower than six O
70 those between the shore and tho shop.
d "whon he reached tho shop he foun
n those who preceded him utterly eS
n hansted.
Ia "Tho first person ho reached wasa bo,
N lilo placed tho youth astridc his should
=, ers, tucking his legs under his arms. II
placed his arm around tho life-ropo an
:, reached his hand up and clasped that ,
- tho hoy, lilo know Ia tho bad places IN
. boy would clutch him about the throat
10 he did not hold his hand. with tho oihc
IA hand he drew himself along tho ropo.
n "Steadily and carefully he made hi
4. l. a