THE FOREST GATE FIRE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2010, 20 February 1890, Page 4

THE FOREST GATE FIRE.

DETAILS GN THE DISASTER

The following message has been received perE.]\LS. Shannon at Albany : London, Jan. 3. Forest Gate, an eastern suburb of London, was the scene of a sad calamity at an early hour on New Tear's Day, when twenty-six boys lost their lives by fire at the Westham* Industrial School, a large institution, at which between 500 and 600 poor children of both sexes receive free education. Fortunately the fire was confined to one block of buildings in which about 90 boys slept, or the loss might have largely exceeded what it actually was. It appears that the poor scholars were enjoying Christmas to the best of their ability on the afternoon before the tragedy. A . lar g e of the elder boys had been i to the Stratford Theatre to see the pantomime, which treat had been arranged for the youngsters on New Tear’s Day. The room of the school was gaily decorated, and the poor children went to bed on the last night of the year in eager anticipation of the pleasures which next day was to bring forth. Soon after midnight, in fact the bells had hardly ceased ringing in the New Tear, the matron, who slept in this block, was aroused by the smell of fire. She immediately alarmed the other officials and the Superintendent, who slept in the other part of the building. These were quickly on tne scene, when it was discovered that the fire was inside the wardrobe room, over which were two dormitories. The Superintendent got a fire extinguisher and endeavored to put out the flames, but the smoke caused him to desist, and the fire rapidly spread all over the building. In the meantime the other men were rescuing the children from the dormitories, 'i he outer door vivas locked and had to fce burst in, and. on the rescuers enterin'*" the rooms they found most of the boys in bed. apparently dazed by the smoke which filled the place. The boys were., quickly roused, and escaped by the windows and doors, dome however, were too stupified by the smoke, or feared to move, and were suffocated in their beds. Iu a p 84 boys wove sleeping in the d.-rmikndes, aud ot these 58 were rescued alive* though half choked, the remainder being suffocated before the rescuers could reaeh them. Only two bodies were burnt, and it ie believed that both these, boys were suffocated before the flames reached them. The fire is 1 supposed to have been caused by the over-heating of the flue of the stove iu ;js .wi.drobe ; worn, i i,e boys themaeives knew nothing of the beginniug of the mischief. A reporter who questioned them, says that some were aroused by the coughing of comrades,

and Jumped out of bed. Many, not realising what was happening and half asleep, returned to their warm bedclothes again, and now lie among the dead on the Infirmary floor. One boy, aged seven is said, even when told of it, to have answered, “ Nonsense, thev are only getting the fire ready for the pudding.” One or two boys in the lower dormitories jumped out and got upon the window ledges and others were dragged out by their brothers or companions. One boy named Jones heard another boy cough, woke up, leaped out of bed, and went to look for his little brother. The little brother insisted on putting on his socks before ho left the ward and fell down on the floor, never to rise again. Jones began to choke too, but was hauled out into fresh air. Another boy, sturdy but not big, came out of the smoke dragging an urchin by each hand. These were sample remem- [ brances amongst the saved, and it is clear that amongst the lads, during this terrible trial, there were many examples of the real hero. It is very probable that in the half dazed state of being aroused some boys were suffocated while fumbling for their clothes, and one body indeed proved this. Ihe poor lad had succumbed on the floor, having only managed to get one trouser leg on. The scene in the Infirmary when the parents arrived to identify the young children’s bodies, was most touching, many poor mothers being almost prostrated by grief when they saw their little ones lying as if ' asleep.