Our Folks and Other Folks
Mr. Dennis Basquil is to sail Wednesday, Nov. 9, in the Canada from Boston for Liverpool, where he will visit friends.
Source: Fall River Evening News, 3 Nov 1899, p. 3, col. 2
Denis actually traveled back to England several times. That surprised me, as he was quite poor. I wonder if he visited his family in Ireland at the same time? I found the 1899 manifest for his trip to England, but have not found his return manifest, so I don’t know how long he stayed.
This is another article on the fire he nearly died in. I’ve come across other people who died or almost died in a similar way. This would have been long before we began treating upholstery fabrics with fire retardant chemicals.
OVERCOME BY SMOKE AND NEAR TO DEATH
AGED DENNIS BASQUIL BRAVELY RESCUED BY OFFICER SMYTH AND J. F. CLIFFORD.
Fell Asleep with Lighted Pipe in His Mouth and Couch Took Fire — Alert Patrolman and Groceryman Come to His Aid.
Patrolman James Smyth, of the central station day squad, with the assistance of John F. Clifford, keeper of a grocery store at 630 Bedford street, made a most thrilling rescue, Saturday morning, of an elderly man who had been rendered unconscious by smoke in his tenement on Orange street. Dennis Basquil, aged 60 years, who lives alone in an attic tenement at 20 Orange street, had fallen asleep on a couch while smoking, and the couch catching fire had well nigh suffocated him when discovered and pulled to the open air after a first attempt to enter the room had proved unsuccessful. The patrolman’s knowledge of the old man’s habits and an acquaintance with his habit of sleeping on the couch had considerable to do with the rescue.
Patrolman Smyth and Mr. Clifford were standing on the corner of Bedford and Orange streets when smoke was noticed issuing from the windows of the attic occupied by Basquil. Knowing something was amiss in the attic, the two men hastened to investigate and found the door fastened. After trying the door the two men knocked loudly and then called. They got no response; still were confident that Basquil was within and they put their shoulders to the door.
It took the combined strength of the two men to burst the door. The volume of smoke which rolled out with the opening of the door drove the men back, but only for an instant, they being practically certain that Basquil was within. Twice they crawled into the room, but were forced to retreat.
Other occupants of the building attracted by the commotion wanted to give a fire alarm, but the officer said there were no flames in sight, and that he was certain he could get into the rooms in a short time, and on the third effort the two men made they managed to crawl across the room to the couch usually occupied by Basquil. He was found on the floor alongside the couch, and when he did not respond to a shaking he was dragged into the hallway and carried into the yard. While a messenger hastened to the nearby drug store of J. F. Sullivan for medical aid, Officer Smyth and Mr. Clifford hastened back into the attic to make further investigation into the fire. The latter proved only a smouldering of the couch on which the elderly man had been found, and all danger was quickly overcome with the use of a couple of pails of water. Basquil had in the meantime responded to medical treatment administered by John A. Gunning, a drug clerk, and but for a slight nausea he was apparently none the worse for his narrow escape.
Patrolman Smyth and Mr. Clifford received no end of praise for the daring rescue, but both appeared very modest, only saying they were glad that they arrived in time to save the old man’s life. They were both pretty well used up after the affair was all over, having inhaled considerable smoke.
When Basquil was able to talk later he told that he recalled having lain down on the couch with his pipe in his mouth and that he probably fell asleep and dropped his pipe.
Source: The Fall River Evening News, 24 Feb 1908, p. 8, col. 3
red paper boat 