FATAL FIRE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 255, 9 August 1937, Page 6

FATAL FIRE

YOUNG SHEPHERD LOSES LIFE. KUROW RAILWAY HOTEL BURNED. OLD BUILDING DESTROYED. (Per Press Association.) OAMARU, This Day. Fire early this morning demolished the Railway Hotel at Kurow. It was a 30-reomed old building owned by the estate of J. Greer, the licensee being a Mr McKitterick. Mr David Alexander Robertson, a single man, aged 24, a shepherd was burned to death. His relatives reside at Oamaru. The building was insured for £2OOO, and the furniture for £ISOO. MAORI WOMAN’S FATAL SCALDS. FALL INTO A HOT POOL. ROTORUA, This Day. Dragged from a hot pool by her husband, who was himself badly scalded in the process, Merana Konui, a Maori woman, aged 38, died in the Rotorua Hospital yesterday, following shock and severe scalds received when she fell backwards into a thermal pool at Ohinemutu on Saturday night. Mrs Konui, accompanied by# her husband and another man, went to the hot pool used by the natives as a bath. She left the bath before the other two and was sitting on a rock ledge a short distance away when she suddenly appeared to fall backwards into a small but very hot pool on the other side of the rock. Braving the hot water, her husband jumped into the pool and dragged the unfortunate woman out. He was lifting her over the edge with the assistance of his companion when he himself collapsed. Mrs Konui was unconscious when admitted to the hospital, and died at noon yesterday. Konui was also admitted to the hospital, but his injuries were not so serious, and it is considered he will recover. INJURED IN MOTOR-CAR. AN ASHBURTON RESIDENT. DUNEDIN, August 8. While rounding a bend about two miles on the Waitati side of the Brown House on Friday afternoon, a motor car, driven by Mr Cecil Gough De Courcy Drury, of Ashburton, skidded and ran over a bank. Mr Drury suffered an injury to his right shoulder and tv as admitted to hospital for treatment. Mr Carl Eric Moller, who was a passenger in the car, escaped without injury. CLERK COURSE INJURED. TRYING TO, STOP A HORSE. (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. When attempting to bring under control a driverless horse at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting at Addington on Saturday Mr R. A. Fergusson, the clerk of course, suffered very severe injuries to his head. He was removed to the Christchurch Public Hospital by ambulance. When the field in the International Handicap, the last race, had gone three furlongs Grand Mogul lost his driver, but continued in the race and was soon close to the field just ahead of Willow Wave, who had also lost a lot of ground. Mr Ferguson, who was on his horse, in attempting to overtake Grand Mogul, passed Willow Wave, but the three horses became involved in a collision. Mr Ferguson was thrown heavily, landing on the back of his head. S. A. Edwards, driver of Willow Wave, was also shaken. Early this morning it was reported from the hospital that he had regained consciousness and that his condition showed a slight improvement. YOUNG MAN KILLED IN LORRY. GREYMOUTO, August S. Injuries which proved fatal were suffered by Mr John Moore, a butcher s assistant, a single man, aged 25, of Boundary Street, Greymouth, when the lorry he was driving left the road near Totara Flat. Mr Moore was thrown out of the vehicle, which capsized on top of him. He suffered severe injuries to the head and pelvis and was admitted to the Greymouth Hospital, where he died three hours later. He is survived by his mother, two brothers and a sister. MAORI CRUSHED BY LORRY. GISBORNE, August 7. Falling from a lorry on which he was travelling to Omaio as a member of the Tikitiki football team, a> Maori, Pakuva Taukoko, aged 25, a married man with one child, was fatally injured yesterday afternoon. When the lorry was proceeding down Potaka Hill, Taukoko became ill and leaned over tbo side of tho vehicle. A sudden lurch caused him to fall, and ho was crushed between the lorry and tho bank, receiving injuries from which he died in a few minutes.