INQUEST VERDICT

Hokitika Guardian, 17 May 1927, Page 3

INQUEST VERDICT

CORONER’S STRICTURES. I by tulechapu—rF.n rni-iss association.] NAPIER, -May 17. The inquest on two victims of the Shakespeare hoarding-house fire eoneluded before -Mr R. W. Dyer, Coroner. Robert Bruce, the tenant, ga evidence he conducted the boardinghouse in conjunction with his wife. They had thirteen boarders on the night of the fire. He was sice-pin downstairs and noticed the fire about 4 o’clock. He rushed upstairs to warn the girl working for them. Webbers’ room was upstairs facing the street. Robinson’s room was upstairs at the back, facing a verandah. The fire seemed to start in the centre of the building. There were no fire escapes except a ladder to the hack verandah, which was not a fixture. John Pearce Smith, owner, gave evidence that tile only means of escape was a ladder at the rear. He did not i

know the other fire escapes of the house were partly burnt down four years’ < ago. He did not know what the inner partitions were made of. He told tharchitect to use non-inflammable material. Witness was sure the fire started in the chimney. Part of.the I original chimney was included when ' the building was rebuilt. The old ' chimney was defective. Witness took > no steps to see that fire escapes were * provided. He was told the hoarding “ used in the interior was non-inflam- ( mable. r James A. Louis Hay, the architect I who prepared the plans for the board-ing-house reconstruction four years ago stated no provision was made for fire escapes on the plans. Witness mentioned the matter to Smith, who told ' him the authorities had not asked him 11 to put them in. He said he would • do so when asked. The house was t rebuilt round part of the old chimney. <"> Partitions of the upstairs rooms were upson board, a composition of wood and pulp put in for economical reasons. The specifications were deposited with Xp.lninr Tlm-nno-b Cnutlfi! mid were an- r

Napier Borough Council and were approved. Witness had not, heen instructed by Smith to put in non-in-flammable material. “The finding will bo the same in the case of each of the deceased,’’ .said the Coroner—“ That they were burnt to death in the destruction by fire of Shakespeare hoarding-7iou.se in the early hours of May 2nd. I think the inquest has heen full and complete. Tt seems to me a serious thing indeed that in the construction of r house like that, no provision was made fur fire escapes beyond a ladder at the hack, which from the evidence, winapparently no good as a means of escape. Thus the staircase or windows were the onlv means of escape. The thing was a veritable death trap. The architect says he drew the owners' attention to file lack of fire escapes, and flic owner said he would provide it when asked. Apparently he was never called upnfi. Had there been fire escapes, so far as we can see, these cwo unfortunate men would not have lost their lives. Tt is a serious matter, and one that requires immediate attention.”