JUMP TO DEATH.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 May 1926, Page 4

JUMP TO DEATH.

LONDON, March 22

Thrilling scenes were witnessed at a fire which destroyed the Corporation Hotel—a three-storey building at the corner of Freeman-street and Nelsonstreet, Grimsby—yesterday morning and involved the death of the licensee, Mrs Maria - Dray ton, aged about 55, and injury to a daughter, Miss Rose May Drayton, aged 24, and a servant -Miss Doris Davy, aged 18. The fire was discovered about three o’clock by a constable, in response to whose knocks on the door Mr Herbert Drayton went downstairs. The constable told him to arouse the occupants while he telephoned for the fire brigade.

The occupants numbered six, including, in addition to these mentioned, fill's Drayton’s sons, Mr Herbert Claude Drayton, aged 2(1 and Mr George Drayton, aged 21, and a daughter, Miss Ena Newland Drayton. GIRLS ON ROOF.

The whole of the ground iloor was well alight and Mr Herbert Drayton found the stairway hv which he had descended one mass of llamcs, so that lie could not return.

AVhenwhilo the womcn-folk, finding it impossible to escape by the staircase, had made their way to a room on the second floor with a window at the front of the premises. Mrs Drayton’s daughters, in night clothes, climbed out on to the adjoining roof by a bay window, supporting themselves on the roof by a. flag-pole fixed in the wall. They hung on with splendid self-possession while the flames shot from the windows of the ground and first floors at both sides of the premises.

People in the neighbourhood being aroused, a hurried search was made for 'Judders. Motor-engines with a fire-escape and ladders were soon on the scene, hut fn extending the escape it fouled the tramway wires in Freeman-street and there was some difficulty in getting it free. HANGING ON TO FLAG-POLE. The lire ladders meanwhile had been got into position, bul Fireman Douglas who ran to the lop of one, was unable to reach the young women on the roof.

Miss Rose Drayton, with flue courage, hold on to the flag-pole with one hand while she lowered her sister Ena into the fireman’s arms, Ena being safely passed down the ladder. Miss Rose tried to jump to the ladder, and Fireman Douglas made an effort- to catch her, hilt her weight almost swept Kim from his hold. He partly caught her and broke lier fall. She struck the side of her head on the pavement and, though not seriously injured, suffered concussion and shock. Mrs Drayton, driven to a hack window by the flames, jumped it distance of twenty feet, striding her head. oil some barrels in the yard and fracturing her skull.

The (servant. Miss Doris Davy, descended a spoilt for some distance before losing her hold and falling. She broke an ankle.

Mr George Drayton, the younger son, had meanwhile forced his way through smoke -and flame to a storeroom and procured a rope to lower the women folk from the windows. P,ut in the few miiuif.es' that elapsed the women had separated and he could not reach them. He was driven to the top floor, whence he lowered himself by the rope which burnt through just as he readied the ground. The building, standing on the corner, was exposed to wind from both directions and the events recorded occupied only a few minutes. Miss Davy .slated that when the alarm was given she put, on some chillies and joined Mrs Drayton, hut when they were on the landing she missed her in the smoke. Later she saw Mrs Drnvton fall info the yard from a first-floor window.

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