THE FIRE TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1921, Page 5

THE FIRE TRAGEDY.

FOURTH CHILD NOT DEAD. PROGRESSING SATISFACTORILY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wanganui, Last Night. It is now learned that the “reported Ideath of the fourth victim of Friday Isight’s fire is incorrect. The little girl fds progressing satisfactorily at hospital. Wanganui, March 11. ; Discussing last night’s fire tragedy, ‘police Senior-Sergt. Bourke stated that,' in forty years’ experience in the force, he had had many pathetic duties to perform, but ndthing moved him so deeply as the eight of the bodies of 'three sturdy little chaps lying cold and still on a slab in the morgue. The youngest boy was badly burned, pieces blackened kapok adhering to his skin, the scars on the others were not so severe and possibly they might have been mercifully suffocated without suffering greatly. Mrs. Bishop states that she left the house to go to a neighbor’s at 8.15, the children being asleep. Miss Grey, an elderly lady, occupied the front room and took the baby to bed with her. Five children were in the back room two in another. Mrs. M i Kenzie. the next-door neighbor, and her daughter saw flames issuing from the back portion of the house and rushed to give assistance, meeting Miss Grey with the baby coming out of the front room. After assisting these two to safety Mrs. M’Kenone from the back bedroom, but the srie and her daughter rescued two others, flames prevented them re-entering by the door. They ran round the back aqd tried to get in at the window, but the bed and a chest of drawers blocked ingress. . , . The brigade then arrived and took over the rescue work. Apparently the children were all asleep at the time of the outbreak. A young man named Henrv Luke rescued a girl from the front room. She burned about the hands and died in the hospital this morning. One boy escaped through a window.