THE ELTHAM TRAGEDY.

Shannon News, 26 March 1926, Page 4

THE ELTHAM TRAGEDY.

STORY OF A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. FLAMES IMPRISON UPSTAIR BOARDERS. STRATFORD, Last Night. Nobody else could have been saved, said William James Calder, one of the survivors, to an "Eltham Argus" reporter in the course of a story of his experience. Sleeping upstairs were: John McQueen, lorry driver for the Eltham County Council, and one of the first to escape uninjured. Mrs. Crenfeldt and Miss Harbison, in one room, burnt to death. George Nielsen, grocer's assistant, Eltham, burnt to death. E. E. H. Stone, employed temporarily at the gasworks, Eltham, escaped by fire-escape, the rope breaking in the descent. He sustained superficial burns and shock. Davidson brothers in one room. George awaked Ms brother and dived through the window landing in the garden. He is seriously injured in hospital. Victor, evidently dazed, did not follow and his body was found in the debris.' William Mancer, butcher, Eltham, uninjured. Downstairs were two occupants, Mrs. Taylor, proprietress, and Calder, an employee of the Eltham Dairy Company. "I do not know what awakened me," said Calder, "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 awakened the other occupants as far as I could, but I was unable to get upstairs for flames and smoke." Calder further stated that he did not know how long he lay awake before he realised the place was on lire, but when he came to his senses ho jumped out of bed, threw his clothes out of the. window and followed himself.

When he first opened the window the draught caused a burst of flame in the room and as he assisted Mrs. Taylor to escape lie thought her clothes would catch fire. He then thrdw stones at the upstairs windows. After a moment or two a couple of portmanteaus were thrown out on to the street but these proved empty. 1 Practically nothing was saved from the place, although" he got his clothes and a gold watch which was a keepsake • from his mother. Mrs. Taylor is pirpstrated by her experience and confined to bed. One Taken, the Other Left. , In connection with the death of Victor Davidson, the circumstances are particularly distressing. George had come on a visit from the south and Victor, an ex-Salvation Army Home lad, spent the evening in the company of his brother, sleeping in the same room. A Roaring Furnace. Deputy Superintendent Murray said the building was a roaring furnace when the brigade arrived. There was no possible chance of getting into the building to effect the rescue of anyone inside or get at the seat of the fire, and he set his men to subdue the flames with the object of" saving the adjoining buildings. 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 rolls of wallpaper .were scorched. Three-quarters of an hour after the brigade arrived the walls of the boarding-house collapsed, the western one on Raifway street falling outwards and breaking the telegraph wires, while the eastern wall fell inwards with a crash.

Outbuildings at the southern side ox the house caught fire but the brigade's efforts were successful in preventing the spread of the flames. The buildings were erected nfentyfive years ago for the Bank of New South Wales. The origin of the fire is a mystery. A fire was burning in the sitting-room last evening. An inquest will be opened to-mor-row afternoon, and after identification of the bodies will be adjourned.

THE ELTHAM TRAGE&Y.

PUBLIC FUiNERAL FOR VICTIMS. ELTKAM, March 25. Tuesday's tragedy, caused a widespread melancholy interest and sympathy for the relatives of the dead and for the survivors in their painful experiences and monetary loss. All the dead victims are well known in the district,,and Harrison's and Neilson's parents reside here. A public funeral will be accorded the victims on Friday, when an. open air religious service will be held in front of the Town Hall and combined services conducted at the graveside. An inquest for the purpose off identification of the victims was held this afternoon after which an adjournment was made. George Davidson who was injured is in a private hospital and may recover but' is in a precarious condition. Mrs Taylor, the proprietress, had an insurance of £250 on her personal effects, making £750 on the contents.