A BOARDING-HOUSE BURNT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1417, 15 May 1886, Page 2

A BOARDING-HOUSE BURNT.

PANIC AMONG THE INMATES. Auckland, May 14. At fonr o’clock this morning a fire broke out in a large three story boarding house in Q seen street, kept by H nry Barsboom The wal's of the house are brick, but all the partitions of wood. When the fire was diacoveredit had obtained a strong hold on the lower portion of the building,

Barsboom showed great careful: ess in directing hiaeinployei to save the boarders but a wen, who ware unacquainted with th° premises, jumped from tne thiid floor, 30 Get from tne ground One of them, name unknown, died after being conveyed to the hospital. Edwin Neill, John F.otdyke, Thomas Orr, Hugh McLiucblin, and Alfred Finch wore taken to the hospital seriously injured. Mrs Bavsboom threw her baby out of the window into the i rms of Constable McGovern who caught it. The mother then crawled along the parapet to an adjoining shop, and was rescued by a ladder. Barsboom was insured for LBOO in the Hamburg Office, but he estimates his loss at LSOO over that The Fire Inspector some time back reported to the City Council that the building was suitible for a boarding-house. The accidents

were caused by a panic amongst, some of he boarders. Barsboom sent waiters to conduct them down stans. and some found a difficulty in getting out. Latest.

It la stated that John Froadwick, E. Neil, and J. Houghton are in a critical

condition. In 1884, when the building was being altered from a store into a boarding-house, Supt. Hughes reported to the Municipal authorities that the building was not suitable for the purpose designed, through inadequacy of escape in case of fire. No notice was taken of the report. The building was a perfect trap, and those who are acquanted with the building and with its construction, predicted grea' loss of life in case of fire. It is a significant fact in connection with the fire that, familiar as the wife offthe proprietor was with the building, and though sleeping on the second storey, she was just on the point of jumping out of a window, with the risk of being crippled, when a friendly policeman interposed and brought a ladder. What, then, was ihefiir average chance of men unfamilar with the building and stepping on the top storey.