Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-04
1 vice and / turned. running into the
Chamber.
Sounded Alarm

Sounded Alarm
Deputy Speaker Rhodes was in the
chair and everything there was tran
quill until / dashed through the door and
shouted .Fire-and q big one!' I turned
toward my room again, but by that time
the corridor was filled with smoke and
flames were beginning to Shoot toward
the chamber 1 then cried for the men,
bers to get out and run around by
room Is, giving the alarm there and
escaping into the open air. / saw them
helping one Of the ministers, I think
it was MIR. Burrell- out Of his room, and
later l saw DR.. Clarke. who had been
burned about the face and hands.
Calls Montreal Brigade
II went to the hotel and put in an or
der for the Montreal brigade. I notified
Chief Tremblay to send as many men
as possible. taking this step as mat
ter Of prudence. realized that little of
the building could be saved, but feared
that other fires would break out. These
are serious times and the unexpected
has happened SO often that l wished to
have every protection possible. j be-
lieve all the members escaped. There
were only about so in the chamber
when l ran in and shouted fire. Flames
shot along the corridors at an awful
rate and it seemed just few seconds
until the whole place was black with
smoke making it impossible to see
There was not much confusion on the
floor of the House and to this many
Of the members probably owe their es-
cape"
w. r. Bradbury's Story
w. r. Bradbury was standing in the
main corridor OF the House of Commons
near the postoffice when he heard a
crash and rushed along the corridor to-
ward the main entrance to the chamber.
1T appeared to break out in an in
slant" he said. II was standing near
the postoffice when l heard a crash. Then
| turned and saw several of the police
men and messengers hurrying along to-
ward the reading room. l went into room
Is where many of the Conservative mem
bers were and shouted Fire Before
reached that room there was another eX
plosion of some kind which knocked me
off my feet The members soon came rum
ming out of room l6 and they also poured
from the chamber l helped get David
Henderson out. He was not injured at
ALL
within few minutes that section OF
the building near the reading room was
a mass of flames One of the messengers
told me that all the members had escap-
ed from the chamber"
Major Gerald White confirmed the
statement of Mr.. Bradbury with regard
to separate explosions. He was in room
16 when the alarm rang out and was one
of the last to leave, assisting the Older
members out After leaving the building
he assisted in the work of rescuing sew
eral who had been trapped in the upper
| rooms in the southwest wing. Some OF
the most spectacular rescues were made
| in this section of the building. There
were many employees in the restaurant al
| the time and the lower corridors fiileo
with smoke so quickly that they were
| unable to get down the stairs. they
made their way along the southwest cor
ner and reached the windows iookihs
down on the street. They were soon no
ticed. and from hundreds arose the cry
"Don't Jump Ladders are coming
General Sam Hughes, minister or mill
Ito was in the crowd at this point arc
he,ped in the work Of rescue. Genera
| Hughes ordered out the 18th overseas
Regiment, which is completing trainina
in Ottawa. The soldiers lined the grounds
and controlled the crowd.
few minutes after the fire broke oo'
y was found that the press room wax
ont off. Several correspondents there
we're compelled to climb to safety do"'
ladders which firemen raised to the WIN
| dow.