SHOCKING FIRE TRAGEDY. AT ELTHAM.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3015, 25 March 1926, Page 3

SHOCKING FIRE TRAGEDY. AT ELTHAM.

FOUR LIVES LOST.

TWO OTHER SINJURED

The victims of the tragedy were: DEAD. Priscilla Rebecca CrenfeldVa widow, aged 49, a cook. Irene Harrison, aged 21, a domes-

tic servant. George Charles Nielson, aged 21, a grocer’s assistant. Victor Davidson, aged 19, a visitor.

INJURED. George Davidson, seriously. E. E. 11. Stone, gasworker, superficial burns and shock. Eltham, March 24.

The tragic occurrence took place in the vicinity of 2 o’clock this morning. When the fire was disovered the building was in flames. The brigade was helpless in the face of a howling gale, and devoted its efforts to saving an adjoining building and shop occupied by Harrison painter and paperhanger, and the outbuildings. ,

There was ten occupants in the hoarding-house, and six escaped iu their nightclothes. , Sleeping upstairs were: John McQueen a lorry driver employed by the Eltham County Council, who was one of the first to escape uninjured; Mrs Greufeldt and Miss Harrison (in one room), who were burnt to death; George Neilson, a grocer’s assistant, of Eltham, who was burnt to death; E. E. H. Stone, employed temporarily as a gasworker at Eltham, who escaped by the fire escape, and sustained superficial burns and shock through the rope breaking during his descent; George and Victor Davidson (in one room); and William Mancer, butcher, of Eltham, who escaper uninjured. Downstairs were two occupants, Mrs Taylor (proprietress) and William James Calder, an employee of the Eltham Dairy Company. George Davidson awakened his brother Victor, and dived through the window, landing in the garden. He was seriously injured, and is in hospital. Victor was evidently dazed, as he did not follow. The charred remains of the victims were found in the debris. All deceased are well-known in the district, and the tragedy caused a great shock to the community. SURVIVOR’S STORY.

“Nobody else could have been saved,” said William James Calder, one of the survivors, in an interview. “I do not know what awakened me, but the room was full of smoke. I helped Mrs Taylor to get out of her bedroom window. The whole place was then 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 on account of the flames and smoke.”

Mr. Calder said he did not know how long he lay awake before he realised that the place was on fire, but when he came to his senses he jumped out of the bed and threw his clothes out of the window and followed them. When he first opened the window the draught caused a burst of flames in the room, and as he assisted Mrs Taylor to escape lie thought her clothes would catch fire. He then threw stones at the upstairs windows. After a moment or two a couple of portmanteaux were thrown out on to the street, but these proved empty. Practically nothing was- saved- from the place, although Mr. Calder got his clothes and a gold watch, which was a keepsake from his mother. Mrs Taylor was prostrated by the experience and is confined to bed.

In connection with the death-of Victor Davidson, the circumstances are particularly distressing. George Davidson had come on a visit from the south, and Victor, who was an ex-Army Home lad, spent the evening in the company of his brother, sleeping in the same room. RESCUES IMPOSSIBLE.

Deputy-Superintendent Murray said that the building was a roaring furnace when the brigade arrived. There was no possible chance of getting into the building to effect a rescue of anyone inside, or even get at the seat of the fire. He set his men to subdue the flames, with the object of saving the adjoining buildings. Mr. J. W. Harrison’s shop on the east side of the fire was only about twenty feet away. The western side-wall was badly scorched, and the brigade was kept busy effecting a save. That they did splendid work was evident this morning, an inspection of the inside of the shop showing that the

rolls of wallpaper were scorched

WALLS COLLAPSE.

Three-quarters of an hour after the brigade arrived the walls of the boardinghouse collapsted, the western one, on Railway Street, falling outwards and breaking the telegraph wires, while the eastern wall fell inwards. The outbuildings at the southern side of the house caught fire, but the brigade succeeded in preventing a spread of the flames. The building was erected twentyfive years ago for the Bank of New South Wales.

The origin of the fire is a mystery. A fire was burning in the sittingroom last night. An inquest will be opened tomorrow afternoon, and after identification of the bodies the inquiry will be adjourned. The building was insured in .the Standard Office for £655, while a policy of £SOO covered the contents.