FIRE TRAGEDY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1056, 20 February 1911, Page 4

FIRE TRAGEDY.

WOODEN BUILDING IN FLAME S, BOARDER SUFFOCATED. CLOSE CALL FOR OTHERS. (By TelezraDh-Press ; Association.!* Auckland, February 19. Another fatal fire occurred on Satur- . day morning, when a two-storied wooden building of U rooms, known as "Scotia House," and situated in Hobson Street, little lower than St. Matthew's Church, was gutted, and an old man named - Albert Norris lost his life. The house was owned by Mr; Robertson and occupied by Mrs. Catherine - Short, who conducted it as a boarding establishment. At. the time of the fire the only ' occupants were Mrs. Short, her daughter - (Miss Hettie Short), the old man Albert • l\orris, and a Maori . named' -Tupaeo Akuhea. At 3.30 the policeman on the Hobson - Street beat (Constable Crawford) went past the house, and perceived nothing wrong. Returning at 3.45 he-found the house on fire. He gave the alarm at once, and then rushed to the; rear of, . ■ the house, and, finding the door locked, broko through a window. When inside, however, he found the: passage way to' 06, a mass of-flame, and the heat and smoke were so bad that he had.to beat a retreat by the way he had entered: Running round o the front of'the house ha found that some -one had.'broken' the ' door in, and, just as this was'done, Mrs. Short and her daughter, clad' iri f night ' attire, and both scorched-about th£-'hea(L> rushed out into the street. :;' A 7 • "Whole House a Blazing Mass!" . Mrs. Short screamed out that tHere-yras a man upstairs. By this time ■ the fire brigade had arrived, but the whole housa - was a blaziiig mass, and ; the firemen' who endeavoured to force a way into th» : lower story were repulsed. Spectators speak in terms of high praise regarding the heroic worjc of the firemen who, despite the . fact that tho whole house was ablaze when they' atr;ved, nevertheless managed to recover Norris'i " body before the fire - reached his room. Norris was- a cripple,, and was 72 years of age, and it would appear that he awoke, and, struggled into -some-' ; bf ; 'his clothes, for, when, found , by ''Superintendent ■■ Uoolley, he was lying on.the.floor with- ' his shirt and trousers oni. He was carried to the street below by Fireihan Wil- " liamson, and efforts i were madd :to re- 1 -store animation, "but Dr.' King/ who- - quickly .arrived on-the scene,-pronounced that death had taken place from lion.' The' house, except for one or two rooms at the back, was completely gutted _Speaking to a reporter,-Mis3 Short told ' of her experience.;. She was' awakened bV : the strong smell of : smoke, and'she and : her _ mother rushed, from 'their bedroom : on the ground floor into ' the" passage. This was all-' ablaze, - and. the'smoke was terribly , thick/ Mrs.' Short : rushed to- ' ■'' wards the staircase with the idea of wak-- - in| tho two boarders upstairs; but was driven back-by the heat and smoke. The front door leading , into-the -street was fastened- with a patent' latch,' and/ in- ■ their , excitement, neither mother nor ■ daughter could get; it to open. ~ The-fire .travelled along tho * passage with almost ■ incredible: rapidity, and the - door was burst open from th« : outside just in . time, for Mrs/Short was - burnt . ' about the faoe, while Miss Short also had her hair singed. "V : ■ '■ ' . Mrs. and Mjss .Short- were ; out spend-'« ing the evening with some friends lasti nigy, and returned ■ shortly -before -11 o'clock. The tiro boarders were; then an bed. How. the fire started is a mystery, - and , it-would appear 'to have.had .ita • origin in one of the spare rooms off the ' passage downstairs. . Maori.Boarder's, Desperate.Struggle. • The ' Maori (Tupaeo had\ an even" closer:'call. He; %as sleeping up- • stairs 'in -aroom'looking out on -toi the street,-and was awakened with a choking - sensation to'find: the roomi fiillof smoke.-m-So thick was, the atmosphere in fact thathe did- not wait to find, his - clothes, ..'out . dived straight for- the.window.- •:■ ~... r - "I was very.-nearly.suffocated and.-.Srhen r woke; I - ; jumped -straight ;for the.'win.-/ :-, dew," ho informed a,reporter. "I-.knev the hju'se whs'on fira, and . I-.knew that :■■■ if I didn'tget fresh: air I'd- suffocate; . So I didn't; wait to put the- window' up; -, -> I just sent my fist smash through it, ana the glass' cut .through' the' flesh to the tone., Theu. I.strugg",ed:.through and ;goiout a.' bit more'. There wasfa little:land--ing outside the-Window;,-ond-I was going ; • to jump from :j there to-tho .footpath, because I wasn't out- of the window any ' sooner than the fir» itsel f . The flame wa3 all round me. Just: then I'noticed ;a pblicemin.climbing up a fire escape under'neath,'and ho showed s mß, the yay . down to the street. After that -I Mr. . . Cooper, the. chemist to dreis ray arms..y An Astonishing Stalement. ; Mr 3. Short .subsequently st-ityd that the / house lias been'ill-fated ever since a man;"-;, committed suicide in it about three weski More Christmas. She alsn made the as-. . •• tounding stdteme.it that tho .lrindows ici : ,1 •her room -vero mt made to, open. She v estimated Ker loss at abbat ,3h'e is: ■ irsured in the Comnnvrciar Union ; Office for JBIOO. s .[ - v; --; .- ANOTHER AUCKLAND FIRE,"' Hutchinson' BrGsl'c. warehouMvin Cus<:, : toms Street was the. scene-, of a.'firei at a quarter past eleven* on Saturday , ;) night. Tha Sanes had a good hold in. •' the top story . when the'brigade arrived, r but was soon extinguished." Tkf amount ;; of. the.dam:tge:is;,not known.