Fire at Dunedin

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 145, 18 May 1886, Page 2

Fire at Dunedin

TWO CHILDREN BUKNT TO DEATH. [per united press association.] Dunkdin, May 16. A fatal fire took place on Saturdaynight in a three mooted wooden house at Mornington. Mrs Stokes, wife of a labourer, had put her five children to bed. The eldest, Edward, 11 years, and the second youngest, James, slept in her own room, and she left a lamp burning on a chest of drawers. The other two, Albert, 9, and Amy,r6s years, were in the next bedroom 1 , while a baby was in a cradle in the kitchen. Mrs Stokes was in the kitchen, awaiting tne arrival 6t her husband from town, when she heard' an explosion, and on looking found her bedroom ablaze. She called out to the elder boy, who caught up his little sister sleeping with him, ana they made their escape, but Mrs Stokes, instead of snatching the baby from the cradle, ran out for assistance. The boy Albert managed to escape, but his sister Amy, who was in the same room, became, confused^ and appears}' to have gone into the room where tne * fire started. All attempts to reach the two children when the alarm waft given proved unavailing, and their bodies were afterwards discovered rery much charred. The house was owned by Mr Muir, and the furniture was insured for £50. ] r