SHOCKING FIRE in DUNEDIN. Children Burned to Death. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Dunedin, Tuesday.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1504, 23 February 1882, Page 2

SHOCKING FIRE in D UNEDIN. Children Burned to Death. [BY TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Dunedin, Tuesday.

A terrible fire broke out in a small wooden house in Smith-street, near the comer of Dowling-street, shortly after 4 o'clock this morning, by which four children were burnt to death. The house was ocoupied by Julius Bischepski, a Pole, his wife, and five children, one beiug a nephew, who all slept upstairs. The fire appears to have broken out on the ground-floor of the building, and the family were not aroused till it broke through the upper floor. Beschepski and his wife got out through a window, leaving the children in bed, but it was not known for some time that there was anyone in the honse, as little attention was paid to the maddening screams of Mrs Beschepski. When the brigade arrived, however, the house was entirely enveloped in flames, and it would have been too late to have rendered any assistance. The husband made several attempts to get into the room where the children were, but could not do so, and the wife also made an attempt, but was pulled back by her husband. The wife had her baby with her in bed, and so saved it. The other three children, with the nephew, slept in one room and were all burned. The whole of the bodies have been recovered. The wife is badly burned, and has been taken to the hospital. The husband is also hurt, by being torn with nails in getting down from the upper storey. He is also burned. The names of those burned are Frances, Minnie, and Martha Beschepski, aged 8, 6, and 4 years, and Thomas Crofts, aged 13. The fire sprea.l to the next houses on either side, both of which were destroyed. The whole amount of insurance on the building is £] 60 in the Norwich Union.