Roy M. Harris rescued Manda H. Slone from burning, Wabash, Indiana, October 13, 1952. While Mrs. Slone, 52, and about 15 other employees were at work in a room of the painting department on the third floor of a manufacturing plant, a fire broke out there, and dense flames engulfed the wall between two doorways of the room and rose to the ceiling. Two large drums of lacquer were ignited, and acrid black smoke filled the room. The other employees escaped from the building, but, choking in the smoke, Mrs. Slone tripped and fell to the floor. Her screams attracted Harris, 26, stain sprayer, who was working in another section of the plant. He ran to a doorway of the room 60 feet from Mrs. Slone. Visibility in the room was negligible. As Harris attempted to enter, a blast of intense heat and smoke and gusts of flame issued from the doorway, and he sustained face burns and fell backward to the floor. He got to his feet and made his way to the other doorway. Peering through the smoke, he observed that the flames had spread 20 feet from the wall and that the drums of lacquer were burning fiercely. Harris placed a handkerchief over his face and groped in the direction of Mrs. Slone’s screams. Stumbling over a cabinet 20 feet from her, Harris fell to the floor. He struck his head and was stunned but was revived by water from the sprinkler system. He dimly sighted Mrs. Slone, who then was semiconscious, and crawled to her. Discarding his handkerchief and holding his breath, Harris dragged Mrs. Slone to a doorway, passing within three feet of the flames. He continued with her and with the aid of another man carried her down a fire escape to the ground. Mrs. Slone had inhaled smoke and suffered burns but recovered. Harris was blackened by the smoke and sustained burns of the face, arm, and back which healed in two days. 3829-42703
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