The blaze swept through the stable where fourteen Shire horses were kept, after a bolt of lightning struck nearby. Young Henry, who had been inside his familys cottage at the time, dashed outdoors and began banging on the stable doors, trying desperately to rouse the horses and warn them of the peril.
Henrys mother, Evelyn Clarke, later said, I dare say, if it werent for him, none of us would have survived, as she fondly remembered how her son had charged into burning buildings on more than one occasion in the past.
The tremor sent windowpanes rattling and had crockery dancing on tables in homes all across the village of Ashton, though, in the end, there was no major harm or injury done.
Ashton hasnt experienced an earthquake of this sort for a long while, if ever, noted Elizabeth Carter, representing the local emergency services.
Thanks to young Henrys quick thinking and bravery, the familys beloved horses were spared from a fiery fate. Together, they managed to shepherd the frightened horses to safety. While the old stable was damaged, it was not entirely lost.
