A BOARDING HOUSE BURNT. ONE MAN KILLED. SIX PERSONS SERIOUSLY INJURED. {From Auckland " Star,"—May 14.)

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 155, 22 May 1886, Page 4

A BOARDING HOUSE BURNT. ONE MAN KILLED. SIX PERSONS SERIOUSLY INJURED. {From Auckland " Star," — May 14.)

About four o'clock this moraine the boardinghouse known as the Railway Coffee Palace, fronting Queen-street-, and running through to Little Queen-street, waa discovered to be on fire. It was occupied by Mr Henry Borsboom, hia wife, child, servants, and also 20 boarders. The building is a three-story erection of brick, and is owned by Mr John Lamb. Until two years ago it was used as a store, but after a fire the proprietor decided on converting it into a boardinsr-house. It then contained two stories and a basement, and when tho proprietor decided upon using it »3 a boarding-house an additional etory was erected, and chimney. The time of the outbreak of the fire is welldefined, as at five minutes to four o'clock two constables were at the door of the building and there was then no sign of the devouring element. Within five minutes the fire had a good hold on the greater portion of the building. The tire, it would appear, Originated in the Kitchen, which occupies a portion of the ground floor in the centre of the building. The proprietor, who was one of the last to retire to bed, made a round of the building before doing so, and when in the kitchen everything appeared to be safe. The cooking for the establishment is done in a large range, the brick work of which is actually built on the flooring which separates the ground floor from the basement. The chimney t pome thirty feet high, is also built on this iioor. We have been unable to ascertain who first gave the alarm of fire within the building. All that is known is that someone called out " Fire," and that Mr Borsboom, on hearing the alarm, rushed out of his bed-room and found the passage full of smoke. He appears to have displayed great

Presence of Mind and had been to some extend prepared for such a contingency of tire, as hi 3 male domestics ha I received instruction as to their action in case of an outbreak. His own bedroom was situated on the second floor, and he aroused all the occupants of the rooms on that flat, He also directed a young man named Lepine, employed as a waiter in the establishment, to arouse the boarders on the upper story, at the same time cautioningthem not to get excited, as there was plenty of time to save everybody. Lepine also acted with great coolness. He aroused the boarders on the fiat and conducted them down the back stairs to the Little Queen-street entrance. Seven men, however, who lost their presence of mind and jumped from the windows, a distance of thirty feet, sustained serious injuries. Of them more anon. Constable McGovern, who was one of the first, if not the first, to observe the fire from the outride, sent a night watchman to ring the fire bell at the New Zealand Insurance Company's Office, and within seven minutes after the sounding of the a\irm the

Fire Brigade, under Superintendent Hughes, arrived. The fire was then raging throughout the whole of tha building from front to rear, though with greater fierceness at the Little Queen-street frontage ; and the flames had made a passage through the galvanised iron roof. There was a splendid pressure of water available, about liOlbs to tho square inch, and the Brigade very soon had five leadsof ho?eplayingGntheburning mas?, three at the Little Quocn-strcet end, and two at the front. The fire burned with great fierceness, and notwithstanding the ocean of water thrown on it, it was fully an hour before there was a likelihood of confining it to BorcboomV. The three men who had jumped from the windows of the burning buildinp were conveyed by the police to the Waitemata Hotel, and four others who were in jured in various manners were also conveyed to the hotel, where they were attended to by Dr. Daweon and Dr Walker. The name 3 of those injured were "Old Charley," whose proper name could not ba ascertained, Alfred Finch, H. McLaughlan, Edwin Neal, Thomas Orr, J. Houghton, and J. TTro?dyke. These were subsequently tiken to the Hospital, when "Old Charley" died from the effect of his injuries. Frosdyke, it appears, had got oue of the sky light after being ITerribly Burned about the leg*, and crawled along toe roof to Messrs Oxley'a premise?, where he was observed by Captain Lelloy, who obtained a ladder and had him conveyed to the hotel. Progress of the Fire, At about 5 o'clock, the foreman had the conflagration well in hand. They founJ plenty of willing workers amongst the citizens, and we have been requested by Mr Hughe3 to specially thank Mr Sturtt, honorary member of the Brigade, Mr Owen Humphrie?, of the Bricigh Hotel, and the wharf turncock for their valuable service?. The upper portion of the southern wall of th 9 bui'ding cracked with the heat and swayed so dangeruusly that the Superintendent removed his men to a window at the northern side. At about 5 30 the building had been completely gutted, nothing remaining of it but the brick walls and a mass of smouldering timbers, furniture, and other effects. Very fe y of the boarders saved anything, and as moat of them are poor men, the losa of their clothing is a very serious 1033 to them. The Building. The external walls of the building are of brick, and the only brick wall ineide is a wall extending aoros3 the building about the centre. Thi3 however, reaches no higher than ■he floor of the second etory. AH the partitions were of wood, and apparently of flimsy construction. In the front portion of the building there was a good staircase, bub it reached no higher than the second floor. At the rear of the building there was a staircase communicating with all the flat, but it was so narrow that two men could not pass abreast There are no fire escapes. Wo understand that in 1884, when the building was being altered from a store into a boarding-houee, that Superintendent Hughes reported to the Municipal Authorities that the building waa no suitable for the purpose designed through - the inadequacy of escapes in cases of fire. Why ns notice was taken of the report we leave the City Council and its reeponeible officials to answer. Tho buildiog was a perfect trap, and* those who are acquainted with its construction predicted great loss of life in, case of a fire breaking out, '

Other Damage. o The premises adjoining the Borsbooma c suffered considerably from the water. The | skylight over Mr Chatfield's store, which i adjoins Borsboom's littlo Queen • street t frontage, was burnt, and a quantity of ] water^ found its way into the store. Mr 1 Dunns billiard-room also suffered consider- 1 i ably. The water and broken glass I damaged the carpet, billiard table, and furniture. Mr Hultno, who has a butcher's < shop adjoining the burnt building on the ; Queen-street front, also sustained some trifling damage.

The Chimney Is in such a dangerou3 condition that the authorities havo ordered Mr Dunn to quit his billiard room until it is pulled down.

Accommodation in the Bouse. We understand that there was accommodation in the boarding-hflusa for 200 boarders, though it ia very seldom that anything approaching that number find quarters there.

Mr Borsboom's Statement. Mr Borsboom, proprietor of the boardinghouse states :— I am' the propiietor of the Coffee Palace boarding-house, Queen-street Some time this morning— l do not know the hour -X heard some one call out 'Tire." I was sleeping in the second story at the time. I got out of bed and saw that the fire was in the kitchen, in the centre of the building. lat once called to Dan Lopine, who ia my >v aiter, to wake the men on the top story and get them out through the front, but not to get excited, as there was plenty of time. I then ran with my wife to one of the windows on the second floor, and we threw our child into the arms of a policeman, Constable McGovern. We sub sequently escaped by ladders. Insurance and Loss. I had my furniture and effects insured in he Hanseatic Insurance Office for £800, and estimate my loss at £500. The building was insured for i' 2,500 in the New Zealand Company. Mr Hultne, who kept a butcher's stall next to Bor&boom's ostitnales his loss at £30 cr £40. He was uninsured. Statements of tkc Police. | Constable M. OBrien reports : -At 4.5. this morning the 6iebell rang out an a'arm indicating No. 1 ward, and I at once saw that the fire was in the Coffee Pali cc on the Wharf, kept by Henry Borsboom. On my arrival I proceeded to the back of the building, where the fire seemed to have a firm hold. I then saw several men lying on the footpath who had jumped from the burning building through the windows Tn company with Constable Kilkenny, I had the injured men removed to the v> aiteinata Hotel, where they were attended by Dr. Pawson and Dr. Walker, and four of them were removed in one of Messrs Dignan and Go.'s brake?, and three others in a cab belonging to a maa named Tierney.to the Hospital The names of the injured are as follow : — Joe Houahton, Hugh McLaugnlin. Tho?. Orr, Alf. Fincb, Edwin Neill, John Frosdyke, and a man who was unable to give his name. All the men named were more or less injured, and the man whose name was unknown was in a dying state when removed, and has since died. Constable McGovern sin f c3 : I was on duty in Queen-street at 4 a.m., and taw a fire in Borsboom's boarding-hou?e. After senJing John Watts, night watchman, to ring the Insurance firebell, I proceeded to the front of the burning building, and there saw Mr and Mrs Borsboom at a window on tho second floor. Mrs Bor^bcom throw her baby from the -window and]] I caught it. Mrs Borsboom wa3 about to jump, but I placed a ladder against the window, and she descended safely to the ground. The fire appeared to be in the back of the building, fronting Little Queen-street I burst in the front door, and could walk right through to the back. There was no fire in tho kitchen at the time. Constable Donovan who was on the beat at o 45 a m , states I was going round my beat at the back of Borsboom's, and called a man named McDonnell, who sleeps on Chatfield'a premises. I then saw no sign of fire. At 355 I was again near the building, and did not observe anything.

Mr Fahey's Statement John Fahey, a miner, from Kunnra, who bad been up to Ohinemutu for the benefit of his health, and ha 3 been stopping at the Coffee Palace since Mondaj', make? the following statement: —1 went to bed at 9 o'clock last night. I slept in a einglebedded room on the second etory, and about the centre of the building. The room was lighted by askj'light I wasawakened at 4 o'clock by someone calling out " House on fire." I put on sorao clothes and got into the passage. The pa asago was full of smoke, which nearly suffocated me. I crawled on my hands and knee 3 about 20 yards, till I came to the staircase leading to the dining room I was then able to get out into the street, and got on the remainder of my clothes. Statement of the Cook. Henry 2> T el3on, cook at the boardinghouse, states : I was sleeping in the top stoiy in a room at the back. I heard Mr Borsboom calling out fire and sajing, "Take no time, but get through tho floor and rescue the people " 1 ran to the top of the stairs leading down to the second floor and descended. Knowing that a gentleman • was in No. 17, I ran to that apartment and aroused him. When I got him out we went down the back stairs to the ground. When we arrived at the bottom I saw a servant girl Fanny, who had evidently escaped from the second story. I remained there, but saw no one jump from the building, though I heard einco that they did. The Waiter's Narrative. Daniel E. Lepine, who was employed as a waiter in the place,states: —l went to bed lasfc night about 9 15, everything then being, so far as I know, secure, and awoke at 2 20. After getting up and looking at the cock I got to sleep again —having seen nothing to lead me to suspect anything was wrong. I flept till wakened by the cook calling me to get up, as the house was on fire. Heard Mr Borsboom call out, ••Tell Dan not to get excited, but look after his boarders on the top." I may explain that I slept on the third storey, and had the lodgers in that flat under my care. lat once jumped up and ran in my night-dress along the passage, knocking at every door to alarm the lodgers. After reaching No. 15, I opened the window of the parlour, and called out to the street for some one to ring the firebell. I then called the reat of the lodgers on my flat, told them all to follow me, and after getting on my clothes, from my own room went down the stairs, followed by the most of the lodgers. All this time I had no light, and caw no sign of flames, but all the rooms were filled with smoke, and it was evident that a serious fire was raging. Some of the lodgers disregarded my injunction to set out by the stairs, and after delaying in order to save their effects, leaped from the window into the street. On getting downstairs, I opened the door leading into Little Queen-street, and went out, when I was horrified to find three men lying-in the street, who had apparently jumped from the windows. Looking up I caw men *t the windows preparing to leap,

and cautioned them not to jump, but go down by the staircase. As they did not go I called for a ladder, and William Bennett and X hi Id it on our shoulders until two men came down by it in safety. lam perfectly certain that every lodger on the third story was aroused, and that no one was left to perish of fire or suffocation. Although the staircase was very narrow there was no crowding or struggling on the part of the men in going down ; and I feel convinced that had the men followed my diroct : ona and made their exit by the stair, no one would have been injured. I have been a member of Fire Brigades, and know how to act in ease of fire, and was never at all excited. The whole of the servants, like myself, lost all that belonged to them as did also the most of the boaiders.

Charles Smith's Statement. Charles Smith, who slept in room No. 11, states : After being aroused by Lepine, 1 ran along the passage to the front window, which I dura t open with tho intention of jumping out, but Lepine caught me and directed me down the back stairs. Thieo or four others, roused from adjoining rooms, and who also rushed towards tho front window, were also stopped by Lepine. 1 rushed down the stairs following the banieter, and, just as 1 got down, I saw some people jump from the top story window.^ They must have been injured, and I believe some of them wore taken to the Hospital, but I do not know who they were ; but I noticed that three of them were unable to move. My hand was cut, butthidwas in bursting open the top story window where I first attempted to escape, when prevented by Lepine, and I also hurt my foot, but how this occurred I cannot saj-. I next saw Prince at the second story window, attempting to get out, bab a ladder was procured for him, and he got down safely, and just then the iliine-a burst out in all direction?. I have no idea where the fire occurred, but it was in the centre of the building, and I bolievo it must have originated in the kitchen. I was not much acquainted with the premises, and had only been two nights in the hou?o. It ut..*? a very difficult place to find one's way through even in the daytime, and, of course, the difficulty was much greater at night when suddenly aroused. I, when at fir«-t aroused, grabbed up my clothe 3 , and rushed out \Mthout my boots, and, as I already told you, I should have gone through the wir dow had it not been for Lepine, who stopped me, and directed me down the back otepe.

Incidents. Hugh MeLoughlan, one of tho injured men, threw a sum of £14 or £15, in one pouDd notes, and watch, through the window by which he escaped. The money and watch were found by Conatablo Donovan, and are now in his possession. Our reporter, whilo walking through the building with Constable Mackie, found a clothos-bag, containing a razor, and other ariicloa of the toilet, aleo a purse, in which were accounts, etc., addressed to Mr Shanaghan. Mr McKeown, confectioner, during the progress of the firo provided coffee and other refreshments for tho firemen and those who were assisting. One of the servant girls of the establishment escaped by means of the telephone wires.