The Colorado statesman., 1913-06-14
HERO ROLL IS LONG
Many Deeds of SeIf-Sacrifice Dot
History's Pages.
Bravery Of Northumberland Pitman's
Daughter Deserves Place In same
Category AZ Grace Darllng's-
Rescue From Flames.

The heroic self-sacrifice Of Captain
Oates In the Antarctic has led to the
detailing OF many incidents of hero.
ism. which go to show that the virtue
ia no more confined to class than to
time.
Here, for instances, is the case of q
pitmans daughter in Northumberland,
which deserves to be placed in the
same category with the brave act Of
Grace Darling.
1t was Dora Chandler, wisp of a
girl OF seventeen years, to whom the
testing moment came, on winter
night within sight of the wild North
sea. The wind howled round her
wooden cottage at Blyth, but within
a strange, heavy silence held the lit
tie rooms. Dora awoke shivering to
sense of ill-defined terror. She was
not alone; five others-three women
and two children-slept in the little
place. Her father was at work in the
pit. Suddenly her fears took shape.
1t was smoke, heavy and sitting,
which hushed the fury of the storm
outside. Starting from her bed in her
night-dress she raised shrill alarm.
The three women ran gasping and
shivering into the open. The fire was
blazing in the lower rooms, where that
day the pitman had stored many
pounds of blasting powder.
The girl Joined her terrified friends,
but the dull glare showed her that the
children were missing. Despair and
dread seized her heart; too well she
knew there was no time to lose-per-
haps no time to act-but her native
courage rose undaunted. She sprang
back across the threshold and CROPPED
blindly through the smoke to reappear
faint and choking with her seven-year-
old brother in her arms. Her mother
seized the boy, and Dora pushed back
into the moil of fame and smoke.
In silent terror the women waited till
they saw her staggering out with her
baby cousin safely enwrapped, her own
scantly night attire torn and shoulder
ing. Her precious burden safely de-
livered, she pressed yet again into the
doomed cottage. This time, with still
ed heart and trembling hands, she
fought her way to safety laden with
the blasting powder, and fell faint
ing into her mothers arms.
She had saved five lives. and by her
undaunted courage prevented an ap-
palling catastrophe.
At Christmastime a young soldier
was passing with friend an electro
platers shop in Clerkenwell Close,
London, Eng, when dense cloud OF
suffocating smoke burst from the win
dow overhead. At the same moment a
boy threw up the lower sash and
screamed for help.
The boy had been playing with his
sister and upset two cans, one filled
with cyanide of potassium, the other
holding six gallons of vitriol. In a
flash the small chamber reeked with
a dense, black cloud of poisonous gas.
The screams ceased abruptly, telling
how the fumes were doing their work.
For one instant the soldier blanched,
then he turned quickly to his friend
I'm going through it. Jack, wheth-
er come back or not; SO 'goodby,' In
case" he cried.
| Words of true gentleman, a name
less hero, who whilst he spoke seized
his companions muffler and adjusted
it about his mouth. He disappeared
inside, while the crowd waited in daz-
ed suspense. Then one by one he re-
covered the unconscious children-an.
other boy of fourteen, woman, and,
lastly, her husband.
How he lived inside, where no other
dared to venture, can be understood
only by such as possess the same in
vincible courage. 1t was the spirit OF
sacrifice, quickened by undaunted
pluck, which bore him through. His
task concluded, he fell senseless to the
ground with the man in his stiffened
arms.
Let us not forget the never-to-be'
forgotten heroic act of Father Canevin,
a Roman Catholic priest. who died
that an unknown messenger boy might
live. In the city of Pittsburgh the boy
lay disabled in the cellar of sky
scraper mown down by cyclone.
Father Canevin heard the sufferers
cries. and at once climbed down tc
him undeterred by the danger OF q
rocking wall which held all others at
bay.
The good priest was in time to save
the boy, but at the expense Of his own
life. He saw the wall cave. and de-
liberately arched himself over the lad
that he might receive the falling mass
upon his own back instead. The boy
was dug out and lived; the heroic
father was recovered-dead.
Wild Game In Kansas.