"At seven minutes past one the engines had arrived. By this time the roof of No. 115 was ablaze and the flames, fanned by a southeasterly wind, made rapid progress along the block, there being no' firewalls to impede their progress. It] was immediately realized that there could be no hope of saving the upper stories. A brigade call, having at once been sent out, half a dozen engines kept continual streams of, water on the buildtag. After a long wu fight, the flames were r though much damage by water was done below.
The lamented Bassail and injuries sustained by Bortecls were caused through the collapse of the escape, which was shifted while extended with the two men on the Indder, Both fell to earth, Bortecle mercifully sustain. ing only minor injury. The accident} occurred about half-an-hour after the arrival of the engines, Jineked up properly. One theers advanced as to the cause of the accident is that one of the wheels moved unseen in the poorly lighted thoroughfare, thus causing the ladder to cant slightly away from the wall, When the water rushed up the hose pipe the pressure was sufficient to the escape. over According to eyewitnesses it fell slowly, impeded by the face of the wall. Fireman Bassail had the misfortune to be at the top of the ladder; Bortecle and Peniguel were also aloft, Peniguel, however, not niore than a few feet above th base. Bassail jumped from falling escape, "according to "onlookers, as did Borteele, but the former did not clear the ladder. He leapt from it when it was only a few feet from the ground. Before he could get up it fell across his chest, crushing several ribs and seriously' injuring his heart and lungs. He was immediately conveyed to the ambulance in atten-Before reaching the has. expired. Exami the body disclosed few bruises save on the coost, which was terribly This is only the second fatal] casualty which has ever occurred among the French Volunteer firemen since their formation, the last taking place about 30 years ago when a man was killed.
Jean Joseph Francaise Bassail, who was 47 years of age, had the good fortune to serve throughout [the war unscathed. He was twice decorated—with the Medaille Mi faire and the Croix de Guerre.
After the Armistice he came to Shanghai to join the Public Works Department of the French Munifeipal Council here. He leaves a widow, a daughter, Mile. Yvonne Bassail, and two sons, MIN. Jean and Romain Bassail.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.