FIRE TRAGEDY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 117, 20 May 1942, Page 8

FIRE TRAGEDY

ACCIDENTAL DEATH

KAURI TIMBER COMPANY

Little light on the circumstances of the death of Percy Reginald Wells, the joiner who was missing after the Kauri Timber Company fire on April 22, was revealed by evidence at the inquest conducted this morning bv Mr. F. K. Hunt, coroner. After the outbreak of the fire no one saw him again until the body was recovered some days afterwards.

In returning a verdict of accidental death Mr. Hunt said he wanted the police to investigate the question of the supervision of the premises at the time of the lire.

Last man to see Wells was Gilbert Parker, a machinist, who told the coroner this morning that he- had called to Wells that the place was on tire. Witness had then left.

The fire had been discovered by Thomas Eric Lowther, who stated in evidence that he was working in the planing department when he saw smoke coming through the floor. He went down through the boiler room and saw that a bearing on a concrete block about -Ift above the floor was burning. He went for a fire-extin-guisher, but when he got. back with it the fire had already gained such a hold that it was impossible for him to do anything to prevent its spread.