New Witnesses Heard At Fire Inquiry

Chronicle (Levin), 12 March 1948, Page 4

New Witnesses Heard At Fire Inquiry

CHRISTCHURCH, March 12: Evidence by people who ^ had eome forw'ard since the last sittmg of the Royal Commission of Inqurry •in pallantyne's fire was commenced this morning. ' . , James George Kruse, tructodriver, said that on .emerging from Beath's he sa(w a fire engine in Colombo. Street. He offered his services to a fireman, and was told to wait till an officer returned. He . went to shift his car. Flames were visible. When he returned, he helped to take a iead to ^ the south,ern end of Goodman's Building. Looking up he heard "screams and saw two girls. Kruse said a ladder was procured. He was third up and he broke the fall of the first girl, who Was then thrown to a jumping net and taken to Beath's. Leonard . Cheekley, advertising designer, said that when he arriued- at the scene about 4 p.m,, girls copld be heard screamihg. He thought'.the screaming came from girls inside the building in the upper storey, and that it was not necessarily from two girls at a window. At no time ha'd he seen more than two people on the verandah. He suggested that it should he made compulsory for escape ladders or ropes to be stored in all buildings over two storevs. Cheekley identified Paul Moljneaux as the first man nn >• ^ veran'dah, but he could not remember having seen Kruse thexc. Herbert Irvine Hurst, tramway inspector, said that at about 3.4X p.m., from a north bound tram, he saw a fire engine . overshoot Colombo Street, back into the street again and go to Ballantyne's, where he could see smoke coming* from a window. The firemen were met by Falkingham, \vhom he knew, and another man. • One fireman went towards the alley with Falkingham. Two or 'three minutes later respirators were procured. Hurst said he then saw Falkingham \goihg to the door of Goodman's Building, but though there - were firemen about he could not say whether anyone was with Falkingham. Flames 'appeared shortly after. He saw water being played in a first fioor window. He took control of the tram to release the motor-man for fire fighting.