THE PONSONBY TRAGEDY

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 February 1911, Page 2

THE PONSONBY TRAGEDY

. THE INQUEST OPENED. [PRR PRESS /.930CUTI0N.J AUCKLAND, February 17. Tlie inquest on ilio victims of tlio Ponsonby fire opened this morning. Dr. de Clive Lowe snid ]io hr.d never seen anything like th» spectacle presented by the bochYs of the two children who wri-Vvi. T.tv were roasted almost t< , skelnc-ins He expressed the opinion that they had suffered fearful agony 1 v fift.*.-: , to twenty minutes. TTCie inquest was adjo- p <vl till 2nd March. Porteons, the father of ijto chl dren, states he wn.s carrying ms «•,[<? and a little girl n h\s ar n i nv«r fl.-e roof of tlio vem-r'ah. Whon t'to little hoy beg.i'i srrcav i'lii In* wife struggled to go "to Ins p•■ shu «•, and in ilir- str l!:e htfle :uil fell on the yerandaih. Porteons dragged his -vih. to ;i po«i< en ol safety, am 1 thmi f.'iHa; s"r: "v. :jiqj io his own terrible ir-juries. Ho saw the children pensrv. and ho L<>l. they did not live in to tlian ten seconds after falling.

Mrs Poi'teo.is r<? mi .is :i a ciiriofil condition.

The other sufferers are out of danger.