FATAL FIRE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 450, 1 March 1890, Page 5

FATAL FIRE.

THREE CHILDREN BURNT TO DEATH.

A fire, in which three little children were burnt to death, occurred at Broken Hill last week. The alarm was raised between 10 and 11 o’clock, when a five-roomed cottage, built of wood and hessian and highly inflammable, was found to be ablaze in the western part of the town. The house was occupied by the Cantlon family. Caution, who carries on a hairdressing business, was away at the time. The three children were in bed, and Mrs jCantlon was lying on the bed in her clothes, awaiting her husband’s return. When Cantlon was returning home he heard the fire alarm, and hurrying along he found his own place being destroyed. Mrs Cantlon was seen running about with her clothes in flames, and some neighbours got bold of her and with some difficulty rolled her in the blankets and extinguished the blaze, but nob before she had been very seriously injured. An attempt was then made to save the three little girls known to be in the burning building, bub all efforts to get them outalive were fruitless. Theircorpses, which presented a horrible appearance, were subsequently carried out and now lie in an outhouse near at hand awaiting the inquest. Two of the children were Canblons and the third was a niece. The origin of the fire at present remains a mystery. The fire brigade were quickly on the spot, bub there was scarcely any water available and they could render no assistance. Mrs Cantlon lies in a critical condition. Her husband is distracted, having lost every- t thing belonging to him.