FIRE DISASTER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 September 1938, Page 6

FIRE DISASTER

OUTBREAK IN BIG HOTEL IN SYDNEY BOY JUMPS TO DEATH ELDERLY WOMAN SERIOUSLY INJURED. NEW ZEALANDER IN HOSPITAL. By Telegraph—Press Association. Copyright. (Recd This Day, 11.50 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. A fire broke out late on Monday night in the large Wentworth Hotel. It started on the fourth floor and guttered the two upper floors. William Redwood, aged thirteen,' who was trapped in a room on the fifth floor, jumped to his death in view of hundreds of horrified spectators, falling forty feet from a window to the roof of the Wentworth Cabaret. Mrs Mary Byers, aged eighty-two, is in a critical condition, suffering from burns all over her body. She was rescued by Mesdames R. M. Wilkins and C. Reece, who arrived from New Zealand only yesterday. They were groping their way through the smoke when they heard groans and found Mrs Byers lying badly burned and semi-conscious, in a passage. The night porter rescued Mr J. D. Smith, of Wellington, from his bedroom. Mr Smith was in bed on the third floor, suffering from influenza. The porter ran the gauntlet of the flames and, smashing down a locked door, dragged Mr Smith out. Altogether nine people were treated for burns, shock and abrasions. Two in hospital include Mrs Euphemia Cornfort, aged 63, New Zealand, injures to chest, condition satisfactory. Mr and Mrs A. Webb, of Christchurch, escaped unscathed. Mr Webb said he was in bed when he heard the crackling of flames and the room seemed to become suddenly hot. “I called my wife and we both raced towards die door,” he said. ‘‘Then the flames spread over our carpet. I grabbed the first clothing I could put my hands on and we rushed out. All our possessions are missing.” In response to Mrs Redmond’s pleadings, Mr H. S. Macey, of Nev? Zealand, went up in the lift to the fifth floor to try to find William Redmond. “Immediately I opened the lift door,” Mr Macey said, “I was met by a wall of flame. .It was an inferno. The wires of the lift were beginning to burn, so I was forced down.” A New Zealander, Mr H. Belk, a crack pigeon shot, staying at the hotel, arrived shortly after the outbreak and was concerned with the recovering of his guns. The police would not allow him upstairs. He made several attempts to climb a fire escape, but each time was prevented from doing so. When a constable was called from his post near an escape, however, Mr Belk clambered up and secured his guns. Great damage was done to the hotel. Three floors were burned out.