BURNED TO DEATH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1331, 2 September 1886, Page 3

BURNED TO DEATH

IuvEROABOitL, September 1. A lire, involving lamentable losi of life, occurred abont ten o’clock to-night in the house of Mrs Kaill, Lid del street. Mrs Kalll and child have not been seen since the lire waa noticed, and are supposed to have perished. She recently lost her husband, who was a sail and tent maker, and died suddenly, without previous Illness. She had since occupied the house with three young children and a servant. Of these two children and the maid escaped from the horning house. IMrs Kaill, occupied a separate room with the youngest child.

jf finding it impossible to return through , s tho lobby, ran round to the window oi the bedroom, and aga : n implored Mrs Kaill to endeavor to get out. Again Mrs e Kaill replied that she could not, the pro- !■ Lability being that by that time she was e partially suffocated.” Here the girl’s 0 story ends, and she is emphatic in statin? j that Mrs Kaill never left the bedroom, j. although it whs reported that she had got 1 outside, hut had afterwards returned to , rescue her boy. * W. Deverill, who resides opposite to 5 where the house stood was among the l first on the spot Ho board the crying ; of a child and broke one of the front f windows, but the volume of smoke which burst forth in his face made further effort at rescue impossible. When the members of the Southern Fire Brigade arrived they speedily got to work and a strong stream of water was

soon playing on the burning mass. Attention was speedily directed to where Mrs Kalll’s bedroom was situated but for a long time, although iha embers were thoroughly drenched and the remains of tho bed acd bedding ware easily discernible, no trace of the woman's body or that of her child could bo found. Shortly after midnight, however, the trunk of Mrs Kalll’s body was found among the debris. Although the building was within the tow,n boundaries the Cent al Brigade did not turn out nor was an alum given from the tower in Don street. Tho explanation 1 ffered of the circumstances is that although the reflection was seen from the station no alarm was given there, and tho officer in charge assumed it was only one of the tussock fires which have been recently numerous in the locality. Mrs Kaill, who, with her child, has perished so suddenly, was left a widow a few mouths ago, her husband dying suddenly. Her body was found in the passage leading out of the building indicating that she had tried to obey her servant’s calls but was stifled by the smoke.