Disastrous Fire at Auckland.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 31 May 1901, Page 3

Disastrous Fire at Auckland.

Three Children burnt to Death.

Terrible Scenes at the Fire.

The Shrieking of Women and Cries of Men.

Five Lives Lost.

Women jump Thirty Feet on to the Pavement.

[Per Press Association.]

Wellington This Day,

A Telephone message received here at an early hour this morning states that the Grand Hotel at Auckland with the adjoining boarding house and residence of the head messenger of the Post Oilioo was destroyed by fire. Four lives were lost and are believed to include the two young daughters of Johnston, the landlord of the hotel. Several others were injured and removed to the hospital

Auckland, This Day.

The Grand Hotel was burned down this morning. Three children of Johnston, the proprietor, lost their lives. Four employees were injured in jumping out the window. Miss Wallace’s case may bo fatal. Miss Meyers had her thigh broken.

Johnston’s children burned are Leonore

14, Eva 13, and Mina about 6. There is a strong probability that there may bo other fatalities. Johnston’s little boy got out with his parents.

When the Brigade airived, Johnston in his night clothes, in front of the hotel was frantically shouting for help to rescue his children. Ho pointed to the upper windows. The whole of the interior except a portion of the ground floor was seething with flame, though some firemen mounted a ladder and endeavoured to get into the interior, but were driven back, and it was evident to the onlookers that there was no hope for those inside, The bodies of the children were recovered this morning with their limbs burned off. The insurances aro Imperial £3,000; National £2,090; New Zealand £2,000 ; Norwich Union South British £SOO. Later. The Grand Hotel, Jonhston landlord, was destroyed by fire at one o’clock this morning. The fire had too firm a hold to be suppressed before the inside of the building was completely burned. The air was rent by shouts of men and shrieks of women.

The rousing o£ the inmates was very difficult owing to the strong hold the fire had acquired. For some time the suspense was awful by the cries of those who had friends or relatives in the building. Johnston was in terrible agony, believing lus children to be in the burning building. He hoped they had escaped unnoticed, but unfortunately they did not, and the three children of the proprietor lost their lives.

The firemen managed to confine the flames to the hotel.

Very little was saved. Nothing has transpired as to the origin. The hotel was the property of Moss Davis, and was valued at £B,OOO. It was insured in the Imperial and National for between £5,500 and £6,000. Johnston’s stock was insured. The estimated damage to hotel and furniture was £12,000. The Northern wall fell outward, and did some damage to the Masonic Hall. The barmaids were rescued with difficulty. Miss Meyers, who jumped from the window, is suffering very severely, and was taken with others to the hospital. Four servants on the second floor had to leap from the window. They were Dora Wallace, housemaid ; Miss Meyers of Thames, barmaid; Miss Morse, barmaid ; Miss Boyd, barmaid. They dropped almost JO feet to stones below.

All sustained considerable injuries, and were badly cut. Miss Meyers thigh is broken, and Miss Wallace’s injuries may prove fatal.