THE LATE FIRE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5177, 25 October 1877, Page 3

THE LATE FIRE.

INQUEST ON TEE REMAINS OP MBS. JOHNSON AND FIVE CHILDREN. An inqhest was held at the Morgue yesterday afternoon at 2 o’clock, relative to the death of Louisa, Frederick, Henry, Frank, Amy, and Jessie Johnson, who lost their lives by the fire on Tuesday morning in Murphystreet. The following are the names of the j ur y ; —J. E. Coker (foreman), T. Bould, VV. D, Nicholls, S. Taylor, W. J. Foster, R, Appleton, James Kersley, R. Tuckwell, J. Staples, J. Macdonald, T. Pope, R. E. Eagby, and W. Archer. Mr, Boardman was present to watch the case on behalf of the South British Insurance Company. Dr. Johnston (the coroner) said that during the many years he had been presiding over courts of inquiry into fatal occurrences he had never presided over one under which the circumstances were more deplorable, from the fact that a whole family had been swept away—a family which was on both sides connected with the earliest settlers of the province. The grandmother of the children was left, and those who were acquainted with the family would know that her whole life seemed to have been devoted to the children. He did not think there would be evidence forthcoming to show how the fire really originated ; but ho hoped the inquiry would lead to remits which would contribute to action being taken to prevent the progress of conflagrations in future. He had received a communication from the Mayor, asking that the investigation might extend, if desirable, into the circumstances of the failure in the water supply, and ho (Dr. Johnston) would be willing to take evidence on that point if the jury were desirous of further information. The jury having signified their desire that the inquiry should extend to the causes which led to the want of water during the first part of the fire, Dr. Johnston read the following letter from the Mayor ; “Sir,—lf there is to bo an inquest into the origin of the calamitous firo of Tuesday morning, I am sure it would be satisfactory to the public, as well as a favor to the City Council and myself, to extend the inquiry so as to embrace the cause of the defective water supply on the occasion. Would you oblige mo with a note on the subject, as I should request the Corporation officials connected with the Waterworks to be in attendance, provided you see your way to investigate the matter on this particular point.” The first witness called was George Bolton, brother of the late Mrs. Johnston, who deposed that the deceased was a widow with five children. Ho last saw her on Sunday morning at half-past 11. Deceased did not appear to bo very well. He thought she was rather low-spirited. She was despondent at times. His mother and sister were in company with deceased on Monday night. Ho was aroused by the firebell about 3 o’clock.

By the time he arrived at the scene of the fire he found the upper part of his sister’s house in flames. She was accustomed to keep a light at night—a small float in an iron basin. He tried to get into tile house, but could not do so, as it was full of flames. He saw none of the inmates, and heard no cry. He believed at the time that the inmates had' got out safely. When the fire had almost burnt itself out a search was made by the fire brigades,and thebodies were found among the ashes of the house. The witness desired to remark, in reference to what had appeared in an evening paper, that there was no kerosene lamp kept in the house. Edwin Jeffreys, coal-merchant, residing in Murphy-street, stated that on the morning of the fire he was aroused by Mr. Reader Wood, and immediately saw the reflection of the fire in his bedroom. He found that the fire was opposite his place. Witness and his son were the first on the spot. The whole front of the house seemed on fire, flames issuing from the door and windows. He saw none of the inmates. He immediately burst in the backdoor, but he could not enter the house on account of the flames, which rushed towards him. All this time he heard no cry. Witness was first under the impression that the inmates had got out; but when he found the doors fastened he thought they were still in the house. There was no chance of getting near them, although he was about the first to arrive. The heat of the fire was so great as to threaten his own house, and lie went away to protect it. The Fire Brigades arrived in about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour after the first alarm. There was no water in the pipes, and it" was nearly an hour before there was a supply, and the firemen during that time were powerless to subduo the flames. The fire could have been stopped at the first house had there been a supply of water. He did not think that even if the water had been on any lives would have been saved. Lewis, Moss, Captain of the Central Fire stated that the alarm was given at the station before the bella rang by the watchman on the wharf. When he arrived the fire was confined to one house. One hydrant had been fixed and the hose out before witness arrived, but there was no water. He knew the water was cut off at night, and remarked that it would be through presently. He began to feel alarmed at the delay, and ordered out two more branches, so as to use the water effectively when it came. The fire had by this time spread, and had caught the next building and also the back part of Mr.Oattell’s private house in Molesworth-street. He went down Murphy-street about eighty yards, and fixed another hose, but again without effect. The brigade was there about three-quarters of an hour before the water came. It came then with very slight force, and he had to reduce the number of branches to two. About that time he was informed that there was a family living iu the house which had first caught fire, and had not been seen. The house was then quite down, the fire at that spot having burnt itself out. The water kept increasing in force, but they never got a full pressure. The Corporation watchman was present at the fire, and lie stated to witness that he had turned the water on at the first alarm. All the bodies were found at about half-past four. Tu reply to a question, Captain Moss stated that he regarded turning off the water at night as a very had practice. He endorsed the opinion of the previous witness, that had the water been on the fire would have been confined to one building. His individual opinion was, that the delay in the water was caused by the air in the pipes. A Juror said : How was it that numbers of Thorndon people did not hear the bells ring ? In Turnbull-street, there was only one resident who heard the alarm. Captain Moss replied that the Torndon firebell was considerably larger than any other in the city ; but he believed it was boxed in too much. However he believed steps would soon be taken to have this remedied. Nicholas Marchant (waterworks engineer), stated that he was present at the fire before the water was on with any force. It was coming through the hose iu small driblets, not throwing a higher elevation than from ten to fifteen feet. Comparatively speaking, that was no water for a fire. The pressure after his arrival slowly increased, and ultimately was sufficient to save the Princess Hotel and other houses. Witness was astonished at the failure in the pressure. At the time the fire broke out there was a depth of seventeen or eighteen feet in the reservoir ; four feet more than on the occasion of the fire at the Empire Hotel. On his way to the fire, he tested the pipes along WilKs-street and Lambtou-quay, and found the full pressure on. However, he had misgivings when he saw the absence of black smoke from the fire, as that would tell that water was not being used in large quantities. At Brandon’s corner and Burrett’s corner, he found that absolutely no water was passing. Even the small quantity that was.first used at the fire did not come from the main down Willis-street and Lambton, but from the pipes carried round the Terrace, and which supplies the Government Buildings. Tho consequence would be that instead of the usual elevation of 300 ft. there would only be 170 ft., and the pressure would be diminished from 901bs, to to 301 b. or 401 b. He had no doubt that there was an obstacle to tho passage of the water in the main between Brandon’s and Burrett’s corners. He examined into the cause of this, and found at the reservoir that the whole of the copper gauze used as a strainer had been carried down the pipes, and, he believed, got jammed iu the main between the places he referred to. The gauze was very fine, with between 300 or 400 holes to the square inch. Past Brandon’s corner tho wc ter main diminishes iu size, and the gauze had got jammed. He believed it had assumed a funnel shape, and every time tho water was put bn it struck the gauze with such force that it drove it further along the water main. The gauze is now somewhere between Barrett’s and the railway station. He explained the reason that the supply was not cut off at tho railway station and neighborhood by the fact that the mains reticulated, and a supply would thereby be obtained from another source than the main down Lamb ton-quay. Ho did not think it dangerous to cut the water off at night. After an alarm the water when turned on would reach any part of the city within three or four minutes, some time before the fire brigades could possibly arrive and got into working order. Ho found that there was a great deal of water wasted at night. When it was considered that there were several thousand attachments’ to the mains it would be seen that carelessness on the part of a small proportion of consumers would sensibly diminish the supply of water. An ordinary sized attachment pipe would carry one thousand gallons of water per hour. The other night by testing the pipes along one of the streets he found that there was a large consumption about a particular spot of the street, and on proceeding into the premises of the Messrs. Goar, butchers, he found two taps fully turned on. The water was sirapiy allowed to run away for hours. There was no one present, and the water was not being used for any purpose. That was only one instance of many cases of great carelessness. Tho Coroner then stated that he did not deem it necessary to call any more witnesses. The jury returned the following verdict:— “ The deceased came by their death at a lire which occurred in Murphy-street, but'bow or by what moans the said fire originated there is no evidence to show.” The following rider was attached:—“ It is the opinion of this jury that the failure in the supply of water in this case was caused by insufficient protection at the opening of the main from the distributing reservoir, and they think that a searching investigation into the matter should be instituted by tho City Council.”