DEATH BY FIRE

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 22 April 1915, Page 2

DEATH BY FIRE

THE INQUEST

O N Thursday, last a distressing fatality occured -in Helensville, by which the infant son of Mr John Dacre lost his life. The infant was only 10^-months old and was under treatment for bronchopneumonia. Part of the treatment was the inhalation of steam generated by a spirit-lamp and long-spouted kettle. A sheet was thrown: over the child's cot and the end of the kettle was placed under the sheet thereby conveying the steam to the cot. During the temporary absence of the mother the sheet by some means caught fire, spreading to the cot and bedding, while the baby was badly burned, succumbing to its injuries the same evening. On Friday an inquest into the cause of death was held before Mr E. Thurlow Field, J.P., acting-Coroner, and a jury consisting of Messrs L. P. Phillips, Arledge, Lodge, Ward, Tucker and Wylie,

Dr. Phippin, M.R.C.5.,L.R.C.P., medical practitioner, of Helensville, stated that he had examined the child on the Wednesday previous and found it suffering from broncho-pneumonia. He had prescribed treatment, and had himself seen that the arrangement for generating steam*was perfectly safe. He again visited the child next day, found it not so well, and arranged to call again in the evening. He found the arrangement of the steaming apparatus quite safe, but disconnected it for the purpose of examining the patient. When he left ha directed that the steaming should be continued, but did not see the apparatus connected. About 11.30 he received an urgent message to go and see the child, but met a Mr Year bringing the child to him. He examined it and found it dreadfully burned, and its case quite hopeless, but kept the child at his house until it died about 6.15 p.m. Death, he said, occurred from broncho-pneumonia, bnrns, and shock. The burns alone were quite sufficient to cause death. The doctor also stated that Mr Year was to be commended for the great presence of mind he had displayed.

John Dacre, carpenter, of Helensville (father of the child), gave evidence. The child, he said, was 10 months old on March 24. When he left home in the morning the lamp was perfectly safe and the windows doled. The lamp was filled with absorbent wool and covered with gauze. The spirits of wine could not run out unless the lamp was turned right upside down.

Percival E. M. Year, telegraph linesman, of Kingland, stated that he was working near Mr Dacre's residence at about 11 a.m. on Thursday; when he observed smoke coming from underneath the verandah. AMr Thornton was with him, and they ruohed into the house. Year, seeing the child in a cot, seized some bedding from another bed in the room, wrapped it round the child to extinguish the flames, and carried the whole outside ; he had then unrolled the child, taken away the smouldering bedding, re-wrapped'it, and hastened to the doctor's house. As he carried the baby out, its mother came -.in at the back door. She had only been outside a few minutes.

Joseph Thornton,' linesman, of Auckland corroborated Mr Year's statement, and added that he was sure both windows were closed. The baby could not have reached the sheet as the rail at the top of the cot from which it had hung was about 30ins above the baby.

The doctor stated that tb,e mother of the child was ii\ such delioate health that it would positively endanger *her life to call her as a witness.

The jury then found that " The deceased, Lionel John Tasman Dacre, met his death at Helensville on April 15 from broncho-pneumonia., burns, and shock, the burns being caused by a fire that occurred in the room in which deceased was lying with steaming apparatus for his medical treatment, but there is no evidence to show how the fire spread from the steaming apparatus to the child."

The jury also expressed its sympathy with the bereaved parents, and its appreciation of the admirable presence of mind displayed by Mr Year.