SHOCKING FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2781, 21 February 1882, Page 3

SHOCKING FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

SECOND EDITION

FOUR OHILDBEN BUBNT TO DEATH

FBt Telegbaph.]

Dunedin. Feb. 21. A fire broke out in a small wooden house in Smith street, near the corner of Dowling street, shortly after four o’clock this morning, by which four children were burnt to death. The house was occupied by Julius Besiski, his wife and four children, who all slept upstairs. The fire appears to have broken out on the ground floor, and the family were not aroused till it broke through the upper floor. Besiski and his wife got through the window, leaving the children in bed, but it was not known for some time that there was, anyone in the house, as little attention was paid to the maddening screams of Mrs Besiski. When the Brigade arrived however the house was' entirely enveloped in flames, and it would have been too late to have rendered any assistance. The names of the four children burnt were -.—Francis Besiski, aged 8 years ; Minnie Besiski, aged 6 years ; Martha Besiski, aged 4 years; and Thomas Creft,• aged 13 years. The two-storey house adjoining, which is occupied by Greenslade, who is the owner of all the property destroj’ed, was completed gutted. The building was insured in the Norwich Union for £3(30, but Greenslade estimates his loss at considerably above that amount, as the furniture was hot insured. The bodies of the four children have been recovered. LATER. There were five children in Bischefski’s family. He is a brewer in the employment of Speight. Mrs Bischefski jumped out of the window with her infant child in her arms. Creft, one of the victims, is a nephew of Bischefski. One of the children burnt gave the alarm by saying, “Mother, too much smoke.” She gcd np and opened the door into the children’s room, but was driven back by the smoke and flumes. The husband then broke through the window, out of which thdy both jumped into the street. She is badly cut about the head and legs. The floor of the bedroom fell into the kitchen below, where the four bodies were found. The following is a copy of a telegram received this morning hy the Secretary to the Fire Brigades Association, Mr Robertson, of the Dunedin Fire Brigade, who is now in Timaru : “Alarm given by watchman on belltower. Brigade got quickly away from the station but horses gibbed in going up hill. (Very steep in Stuart street.) Had to drag- reel rest of distance. Lieutenant Brown there first. Policeman said everybody out. Twenty minutes after got the bodies out. Mother of children running about almost out of her senses. Three children destroyed. We think they never woke, we found them in bed. Brigade praised for work done after we got there.”