FATAL FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1803, 16 October 1888, Page 3

FATAL FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

A fire broke out in a three-roomed wooden house in Union street, near Pelicbet Bay, at about a quarter to 2 on Sunday morning, with fatal results, which singularly were not discovered until a considerable time afterwards. The house, which was uninsured, belonged to a laborer, named Michael Fahey, and was occupied by himself, his wife Mary Fahey, and eight children. On Saturday night, however, there was also a visitor at the place—a laborer named Thomas Maloney, aged about 32, unmarried, who has been working lately at the heads. At the time of the outbreak Mrs Fahey had gone to bed, but her husband and Maloney were still sitting in the outer room smoking and talking. The fire originated in the bedroom, where Mrs Fahey had seemingly left the candle burning near the bed. On the alarm being given the Fire Brigade, Salvage Corps, and police were promptly on the spot, but the building burned so quickly that it was impossible to save anything, and the inmates themselves had the greatest difficulty in escaping in time, Mrs Fahey, indeed, was barely got out alive, and sustained most serious injuries. Nearly half the skin was burned off her body, and the shock to her system has been very severe. She was at once conveyed to the hospital in a hansom by the police, and received every attention, but it is very doubtful if she will recover, Fahey himself was burned about the head, and he, too, was taken to the hospital to have his injuries dressed. But for his absence the fate of Maloney would probably have been discovered sooner. The latter was seen outside the house after the outbreak of the fire, but he must have returned, probably to see if all the inmates were were out in safety, and he was either overpowered by the smoke or struck by some part of the falling building. It was thought at first that some of the children bad not been rescued, and Superintendent Robertson examined the debris. It was found, however, that the children were all accounted for, and a body seen among the ruins was thought to be that of a goat, it being known that Fahey had such an animal in an outhouse. After the departure of the brigade, attention was again drawn to the object in the debris , and upon it being extricated by the police, it was found to be the body of a man, since satisfactorily identified as Maloney. The corpse was removed to the Pelichet Bay Hotel, where an inquest will be held. Carelessness was probably the cause of the disaster, as the authorities at the hospital state that both Fahey and his wife when admitted were more or less under the influence of liquor.— Otago Daily Times,