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FALL OF A HOUSE AND MIRACULOUS
ESCAPE OF THE INMATES.
Yesterday morning Mr. Deague and his wne,
who occupied a newly erected dwelling, nearly
opposite Gripe's Foundry, in Wattle-street, had
one of the most providential escapes from imme-
diate death we have heard of for some time. Mr.
Deague, who had only gone into the new house on
Friday night last, was awoke about four o'clock in
the morning by the rain dripping through the
roof: he got up and placed a piece of zinc over the
bed to prevent the water coming in. Shortly
afterwards, without the least warning, the entire
roof, which was composed of arched brickwork,
fell in with a terrible crash, and was accompanied
in its fall by two of the sides of the dwelling.
Some of the police force who were passing on their
way to the Camp, it being their relief hour, heard
the loud screams of Mrs. Deague, and running to
the spot, they found the two persons completely
buried by the fallen house. Assistance was im-
mediately procured, and they were got out, strange
to say, Mrs. Deague not having received the least
injury except the fright, and Mr. Deague only
slightly bruised about the legs. The iron bed-
stead on which they were lying was crushed into
a dozen different shapes, and most of the articles
of furniture smashed. By some miraculous chance
or other some portions of the ironwork of the
roof, or some of the ironwork of the bedstead,
must have formed a support on which the mass of
brickwork, comprising the roof, had rested, Mr.
Deague and his wife being underneath. The
house, which contained two rooms, had only been
finished on Friday last. It was built by the owner
himself. Although of substantial materials, it would
appear as if the roof had been put on before the
setting of the side walls was complete, the late
rains preventing them from becoming thoroughly
dry. A fault would also appear to have been
committed in putting such a heavy roof—entirely
composed of brickwork and supported by arches—
on such frail walls, and this before the latter were
perfectly dry.
The occurrence created a considerable degree of
alarm in the neighborhood, and before the parties
were taken out from under the ruins of the fallen
house, it was believed they had been crushed to
death. Their escape was looked an as most
miraculous.
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