THE FIRE DISASTER

Hokitika Guardian, 26 March 1926, Page 4

THE FIRE DISASTER

A SURVIVOR'S .STORY. STRATFORD, March 2-1. “Nobody else could have lieen saved,’’ said William James Calder. olio of the survivors to an “Kltliam Argus” reporter in the course of a story of his experience. Sleeping upstairs were : John M’Qucen, lorry driver for Jxltham County Coumnil, one of the first to escape uninjured. .Mrs Cron fold t and .Miss Harrison, in one room, burnt to death. George Xeilson, grocer’s assistant, lilt-ham, burnt to death. K. ]•:. H. stone, employed temporarily as a gasworkor at Eftliam, escaped by tire escape, the rope breaking in the descent-. He sustained superficial burns and shock. Victor. Davidson and his brother Georg)'. l , in one room. George awakened lii.s brother, and dived through the window, landing in the garden seriously injured. He is in hospital. Victor evidently was dazed, and did not follow. His body was found in the debris. William .Mancer, butcher, Kltliam. escaped uninjured. Downstairs were two occupants, Mrs Taylor, the proprietress, and J. Calder, an employee of tin. l Kltliam Dairy Company. “I iln not know wliat wakened ini',” said Mr Calder. "but the room was full of smoke. I helped .Mrs Taylor to gel out of her bedroom window. Tli 1 whole place then was burning, and shortly afterwards a number of explosions followed. I wakened the other occupants as far as I could, but I was unable to get upstairs for Haines ami smoko.” lie did not realise how long be lay awake before lie realised the place was on tire, but when be came to bis senses be jumped out of bed, threw bis clothes out ol tile window and followed. When lie first opened the window the draught caused a burst of 11 ame in the room, and as lie assisted Mrs Taylor to escape be thought her clothes would catch lire. Then be threw stones al the upstairs windows. After a moment or two a couple of portmanteaux were thrown out on to tli - street, but these proved empty. Practically nothing was saved from the place, although he got bis ilot-hes and a gold Match, which was a keepsake from Ids mother. Mrs Tavior is prostrated by her experiences and is confined to bed.

In connection with the death of A ictor Davidson, the circumstances arc parlicluarly distressing. George had mine on a visit from the south, and Victor, an cx-Avniy Home lad. spent the evening in the company of his brother, sleeping in the same room. Deputy-Superintendent Marray said the building was a roaring furnace when ihc brigade arrived. There was no possible chance of getting into the building to effect the rescue of anyone inside, or get at the scat of the fire. He set men to subdue the flames with the object of saving adjoining buildings. Mr -I. IV. Harrison’s shop on the cast side of the lire was only about twenty feet away. The western side M-alI was badly scorched, and the brigade was kept busy elFccting a

Thai- limy did splendid work was evi dent this morning, an insne: firm of Hi inside of the shop .showing That roll of wall-paper were scorched. Three-jiiarters of an hour after lb brigade arrived. Ihe walls of tin boarding-house ml lapsed, the western one. on Railway Street, falling out wards and breaking (lie tclogrnp] wires, while the eastern wall fell will a crash inwards. The outbuildings a the .southern end i f the bouse caugh tire, bill the brigade's efforts were sue ee.-sftil in preventing tile spread of Hi flames.

The building was creeled twenty-live years ago lor the Bank of New South Males. The origin of the fire is a mystery. A lire was burning in the sittiiig-rooni last evening.

An inquest will he opened tn-mo: row afternoon, nml after iiieutideatio: ol tlic bodies will lie adjourned.