The morning call., 1893-09-24

The destruction by fire OF the diStillerv
of Mr.. B in Dublin some time since
will be in the recollection of many Of yonr
Irish readers. A circumstance happened
TO me on the night of that event which.
as I believe it to be altogether unprece-
dented, viii now relate. [ am medical
man, residing in Dublin. and on the night
in question was returning about IL 80
o'clock from the neighborhood of Harold's
Cross, where L had been to superintend
the administering of a hot bath to a pa
tient. when the reflection of the fire on the
sky TO the northwest attracted my atten-
tiop and drew me to the spot.
Mr.. BIS distillery consisted princi-
pally OF one long and lofty building, the
western end of which was connected with
a considerable pile of stores and offices
that abutted on it at right angles, with
large addition, nearly similarly situated at
the eastern end, which was just then in
progress Of erection. When | arrived on
the SPOT the courtyard presented very
animating spectacle. Three engines poured
their streams on the center pile Of build
lngs. while two others played on the win
dow lattices of adjoining stores, which
were momentaTily catching fire and as fast
eXliHguished. The courtyard was in q
swim with water which flashed back the
light with an unsteady but dazzling re-
fiectiOn, as the fTemen splashed through
it ankle-deep. The captains of the several
ga ngs, mounted on the respective engines,
stood over the heads of the crowd, cheer
ing on the eXertious of the bumpers below
or shouting their directions to the fremen
aloft, where they appeared plying their
-hatchetS at an immense height among the
smoke and emberS.
Excited by the animation of the scene /
took an active part in the eXeTtiOns of
those around, and soon became thoroughly
heated as well as wetted in the service.
Among other duties undertaken BY the
volunteers with whom l had associated
myself was the removal of a number of
casks, to get at which it was necessary to
cross platform of masonry built round a
large copper boiler in the unfinished end
of the building. Over this platform there
was scaHolding resting at one side on the
party wall which separated the new por-
tlOn OF the works from that which was
already on FIRE. and through the holes in
this party wall, in which the ends of
the beams were inserted. the flames
were now communicating. l had crossed
twice in safety and was about to ven
ture third time when one of the by
ISLANDERS, who had witnessed my exertions,
directed my attention to the dangerous
condition of these timbers, several of their
points of support being already burned
away, so that the scaffOlding hung smold-
erlng and half suspended from the new
brickwOrk and threatened to pull down
great part OF the walls on each side in its
descent. which could not now be far dis
tant | thanked my friendly warner for
his advice. and had taken it so far as to
retire few steps from the incOnVenient
nelghborhood of the flames, when one of
the firomen Of the N Insurance Com
pany got up on the opposite side of the
platform and signed for some one to come
TO his assistance. l gave look at the nod
ding timberS above; they seemed still
too deeply bedded in the masonry of
the one building TO give me an appre-
hension of immediate danger. | ran up
the ladder that led to the platform on that
side. but just as | gained the top heavy
fall OF masonry took place from the angle
OF the pile nearly overhead. l escaped by
the meTest chance, but the ladder was
dashed IN fragments, and the rush of smoke
and flame thai followed through the breach
Yhus opened completely hid the prospect
on one side from which l had assembled. l
became confused and rushed forward,
hardly knowing where l ran, but had
scarcely taken three steps in advance
when [ heard the prolonged tearing crash
of the t!mbers overhead, and next moment
saw the beams tOpple and the bricks and
dust rise about their endS-ln another in
stanJ 1 must have been crushed to pieces,
perhaps with the red end of a beam, for they
the mouth of the open vessel, which, as |
have mentioned, was bedded in the masonry
at my feet, caught my eye. 1t was not
more than four feet across; the chances
were that the long timbers would fall
athwart, not into it. There was an ample
concave below, as appeared by the broad
reflection OF light On the new copper OF its
sides. Without bestowing thought how
l WAS to get out l dropped at once to the
bottom of the hollow chamber. The metal
reverbeTated and the eehong sphere rang
round me for moment with braZen
clang-then crash, crash, with the dint of
thunder, down came the blazing timberS-
driving. rolling, rebounding, smashing ali
before themi l thought the copper would
be crushed fiat, but the masonry in which
1t was bedded protected it. OAe beam
pitched end foremost on the exposed neck
of the vessel; the metal yielded, and drew
out as before the first stroke of huge punch
the whole concave grOaned and thbught
it was all over with me. lnstinctively |
strove to cling to the side of the vessel
there was nothing TO hold on by, and |
reeled back TO the little spot Of level foot
ing in the bottom. conscious. for the first
time, that l was in trap, out of which
there was no escape. l had no time for
reflection, for q shower of rubbish. patter-
ing on the head OF the vessel, and falling
ing in through its mouth, drove me again
to seek for shelter at one side. How |
chung so long cannot tell, Dul ala sue
ceed in fastening myself to the overhang-
ing concave, until a considerable quantity
of bricks and mortar had fallen in. I'M
mediately after the main wall OF the burn
ing building-the only barrier between a
space Immediately above me and the
hames-gave crack and tumbled
over to the other side, causing snch con-
cussion as made the mortar leap off the
floor, and threw up a cloud of dust that for
a time obscured everything around me.
Expecting each moment to be my last.
with the instinct of one who awaits blow
which he cannot avoid, l shut my eyes and
stopped my head, shrinking together, as
may well be imagined, and trembling in
every limb The first thing that reused
me was the glare of light from the flames,
which now. unconfned by any partition.
rolled overhead. Tapping and laboring in
the air with such breadth and intensity
that their reflection made the whole con-
cave in which / stood as bright as the
inside of a gilt cup. | gave myself
up TO despair when eontem-
plated the fiery torrent which now
oyercanopied me. Embers were falling
from its borders like fakes of snow; a
sound like the roaring oil hungry lions
proceeded from the midst of it; the heat
7 turnad INV fo tnward xpac