SILVER GRID FIRE.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 November 1917, Page 4

SILVER GRID FIRE.

ANOTHER. VICTIM

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.] CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 19. Mrs. Smith, died this afternoon from shock and cuts caused by Ike fall from the building at the Silver Grid fire. HARROWING DETAILS. PLACE A DEATH-TRAP. CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 19. There is fin air of mystery about the

origin of the Silver Grid lire. Nobody seems to have noticed it before it bad a good hold, and the alarm' was late in being given, although the Brigade turned out sanartly.; Apparently the fire started upstairs somewhat near the front of the building. The neighbours were alarmed almost as soon as the inmates. There may have been eighteen or twenty persons sleeping on the premises, and it seems as if few escaped without injury of some kind. Hiefirst that was known of it wn's when the interior was -blazing fiercely, and it seems as if the burning of the only staircase, a narrow wooden structure, had cut off all escape to the bottom door, consequently the main means of escape was by a couple of iron fire escapes at the back ol the building or through the front windows, hut to got out of the front windows seemed , almost suicidal, for the fiaines were surging upwards, and the glass verandair wa s a trap. Men are said to have gone absolutely frantic with fear and burns,, and some gruesome scenes were witnessed as the inmates leaped from the front windows on to the curving glass verandah. . They smashed, through the glass, cutting their hands and feet. As they stumbled along they shrieked and groaned in panic. The sight wins quite unnerving, a's blood • was everywhere, and the tragedy was deepened by the fact that the number of persons who had perished was unknown Fortunately, there were a few coolhea'clAl folk to look after the maddened escapees from the building. T. Dodd, whose tea rooms, are in the same block, a few doors nearer the railwaystation, was early aroused with his family.’ Tie said that at 2.3(1 a.lll. he was aroused by the sound of fire, and went out at, once. lie was there fully ten minutes before the brigade arrived, and in that time some horrible scenes were enacted. Mon escaping from the front 10ms rushed along the verandah, ami were able, fortunately, to escape through Dodfl’s upper stories. It wits a ghastly business. At seven this morning the traces of it could he seen in the pools of blood left on a few of the unbroken verandah panes whore the victims? had passed along. One man .had the, call of his leg almost severed, and it hung down clear of liis leg. Another man went absolutely mad, and careered right along the verandah, smashing the glass, at