NARROW ESCAPES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 244, 5 January 1928, Page 1

NARROW ESCAPES

Five People Make Hurried Exit From Blazing Queen Street Shop

SMART WORK BY BRIGADE WHEN fire broke out in a shop at 476 Queen Street early this morning five people who were sleeping on the floor above made a hurried escape in their night attire.

TVTRS. H. E. KERSEY, one of the sleepers, stumbled down the stairs just before the flames broke through her bedroom window. In her night clothes she ran down the street to the fire-alarm, but fortunately someone else had noticed the blaze a few minutes previously. The fire began in a shop occupied by Miss L. Herman, costumiere and dressmaker. Rolls of cloth and silk and other highly inflammable racer ials in the shop soon turned it into a blazing inferno, and it was only the smart work of the men from the Pitt Street Fire Station which saved the buildings from total destruction. Those sleeping above the shop were Mrs. H. E. Kersey and her husband. Miss Herman, and the two Misses Mullett, who are guests of Mrs. Kersey. They were roused by the noise of crackling timber and the smell of smoke at 5.30 o’clock this morning. Mrs. Kersey was the last to be wakened. She said this morning that she just blundered down the stairs, halfasleep. and rushed for the fire-alar a.. The others all made their escape as quickly as possible. Of the work of the firemen Mrs Kersey said this morning: “I think the firemen were just plendid. We were without shoes and they climbed up and threw some to us to put on. In a remarkably short time they had the fire completely out. It was wonderful how quickly they worked.” Iwiss Herman’s stock, which was valued at between £1,200 and £1,400, has been completely destroyed by fire, water and smoke. Mrs. Kersey, whose bedroom was right above the shop, lost all her wearing apparel. The bed on which she was sleeping was scorched and charred by the flames. Mr. L. Parr, who owns one of the

shops adjoining that which was dame~ed, was rounsed by a noise which he thought was a milkman. As soon as he woke he saw the red glow of the flames and hurriedly escaped with his wife and two little children. A chemist’s shop on the other side, occupied by Mr. P. H. Dawson, was not damaged. The building in which the fire occurred is owned by Neville Newcomb, Ltd., land and insurance agents. It is insured with the General Accident, Fire and Life Assurance Corporation (Ltd.), for £l,lOO. The shop contents are insured with the same company for £SOO, and the furniture with British Traders Insurance Co. for £ 400. The origin of the fire is a mystery.