TERRIBLE BURNING ACCIDENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 134, 5 July 1909, Page 4

TERRIBLE BURNING ACCIDENT

HOUSE ON ELTHAM ROAD DESTROYED. WOMAN AND TWO GIRLS SERIOUSLY INJURED. A very distressing occurrence took place between 10 and 11 o'clock on ■•Saturday on Mr. G. Parker's farm on the Elt'iiam Road, between Elthaiu and llangatoki. Mr. \V. Rill, who is dairy furnung on shares, occupied a liveroomed house on the farm, and was working some distance away when His attention was drawn by screams in jls vicinity. At the iirst moment lie took little notice, thinking it might be the cries of his children at play, but finding they were screams of" alarm he hastened in the direction of the house, wJiieh was hidden from view by intervening trees. On getting a clear view he saw 'his son dragging Mrs. Bill out of the house, which was enveloped in flames. The unfortunate woman had her clothes literally burnt off, and she was fearfully burnt from head to fool. The two daughters, aged 4 and 11, who were in the house at the time of the calamity, were also badly burned, thenhair being destroyed, while they sustained more or less injuries to various parts of the body. Neighbors came to their assistance, and the sufferers were brought in to a private hospital in Eltham, where they are receiving treatment.

Mr. Bill, when spoken to by an Argus representative, was unable to give a very clear idea as to liow the acctdent occurred owing to the condition of the sufferers preventing them from supplying full details. As far as he could learn, however, it appeared that there were some clothes drying on a line More the first in the house, and probably they became aligntcd, and on attending to them the ilames were transmitted to Mrs. Bill's dress. She was not at first aware that her clothes had caught fire, but she was speedily enveloped in flames from head to foot. The girls ran to their mother's assistance, alid their clothes also caught, and the lire was in turn transmitted to the house, from which the children managed to escape, the mother being rescued by a son who appeared on the see:ie. The house was totally destroyed, and nothing whatever was saved. The family possess only the clothing which ■ they were wearing, while Mrs. Bills has not even any clothing left, and was conveynd to Eltham wrapped in blnnkets. There was some money in the ' house, and that too went with the rest of the contents. The house, it is be- : lioved, was insured by Mr. Parker, but Mr. Bill had no insurance on the contents. The cold weather prevailing mane the task of conveying the sufferers to Eltham for medical attention all the more ■ difficult, particularly in the case of Mrs. Hill, who was suffering great ■ agony. As was to be expected, ready assistance was given by the few neighbours who were aware of the occurrence.