DESTRUCTION OF AN INN AND DEATH OF A LODGER.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2288, 17 July 1880, Page 2

DESTRUCTION OF AN INN AND DEATH OF A LODGER.

A SI'UUGGLK J'Oli LIJ'J'. [Bv TKLEGKArn.] Bi.kxiiki.m, July 10. At an early liour tins morning the Woolpaek Inn llenwick Town, oceupicd by Mr George Stevenson, was completely destroyed by lire. One man perished in the llatncs, and four others sustained injuries of a serious nature. The origin of the tire is not known, but it appears to have broken out iu one of the bedrooms. There were twenty persons in the house at the time. An alarm given by M essrs Mclvor and Thomas was the prelude to an indescribable scene of dismay. Stevenson, who was iu the upper storey, escaped by a back staircase. Mrs Steveusou and the children, who occupied a room down stairs, were taken out through a window. The headway made by the flames cut oil: all means of escape from within to the wakened sleepers, and one by one they were compelled to break through the windows and jump to the ground. One man named Mason jumped hastily from his bed and made a rush to the door, which he had scarcely opened when a scorching tongue of flame dashed into his face and drove

him clack. Mason, momentarily staggered by the shock, made for the window which was just abo\ o the roof of the kitchen, and catching hold of the frame was endeavoring to wrench it out, when (lie flames caught his hands and rendered them useless. Fearing to bo smothered lie butted at the window head foremost,and bursting through it fell on the roof of the kitchen, and from thence bounded on an iron grating below, falling on his head. He was picked up in a senseless condition, and conveyed to a dwelling, where he now lies in a very bad state, Ins face and hands being all burnt and bruised, and his head cut. In a back room in the left wing of the building, slept two men, one named Moses Cartwright, and what took place in that little room when the alarm of lire spread, no-mortal can say, not even the survivor, who has no recollection of anything else but that of seeing a great blaze of light. How he left the room and succeeded in his escape he has not the remotest idea. All that the spectators _ saw was_ the figure of a man dash against one of the upper windows, and fail heavily on the ground outside the house. He was taken to MTvor’s house, where it was found that besides sustaining a terrible scorching his left arm was broken, and he had alembic gash under bis chin, as if from a pane when breaking through the window. On being questioned he said he believed that lie left Moses Cartwright in the room, but could not speak with certainty on the point. It ■was for a time thought Cartwright had made his escape, one or two persons in the crowd stating they had seen some one leaving the house, whom they believed to be Cartwright. This unfortunately proved untrue, and a few charred human remains found in the debris later on told Ilnur own sad tale. It is surmised that Cartwright was unacquainted with the passages leading from the staircase to the exterior, and when awakened he must have run down the staircase from which a passage led to the kitchen, and turning off at right angles led to the outer door. Instead of turning off,the unfortunate man must have continued straight on into the kitchen, and have been suddenly brought up against the wall. The confusion which would naturally ensue in his mind, and the smoko which it may be presumed, filled flic apartment, together combined to bring about his destruction, and he must have fallen, as his remains were found on the Jloor, and been devoured by lire. The insurances were as follow :—Ou the building, £SOO in the Union, £IOO in the and £250 in the Hew Zealand office. On the furniture, £2OO in tlie Union, and £SO in the New Zealand ; ou the stock-in-trade, £IOO in the Union ; ou the stable, £IOO in the same office ; ou the billiard table,'£l2o in the Victoria.