JUMP TO DEATH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 291, 20 September 1938, Page 5

JUMP TO DEATH

BOY TRAPPED IN FIRE. OLD WOMAN BADLY BURNED. SAVED BY TWO NEW ZEALANDERS OTHER VISITORS ESCAPE. BLAZE IN HOTEL IN SYDNEY. United Press Association —Copyright.) (Received This Day, 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Fir© broke out late last night in the largo Wentworth Hotel. It started on the fourth floor and gutted two upper floors. William Redwood, aged 13, who was trapped in a room on the fifth floor, jumped to his death in view of hundreds of horrified spectators, falling 40 feet from the window to the roof of the Wentworth Cabaret. Mrs Mary Byers, aged 82, 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. A 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 a gauntlet of flames and, smashing down the locked door, he dragged Mr Smith out. Altogether nine people wore treated for burns, shocks and abrasions. Two are in hospital, one being Mrs Euphemia Contfort, aged 63, of New Zealand, with injuries to her chest. Her condition is satisfactory. Mr and Mrs A. Webb, cf Christchurch, escaped unscathed. Mr Webb said he was in bed when he heard the crackling of the and the room seemed to become suddenly hot. “I called my wife and wo both raced toward the door. Then the flames spread over our carpet. I grabbed the first i 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. Mfftey, of New Zealand, went up in a lift to the third floor to try to find William Redmond. “Immediately 1 opened the lift door I was met by a wall of flame. It was an inferno. The wires of the lift wero beginning to melt so I was forced down,” said Mr Macey. Another New Zealander, Mr H. Balk, a crack pigeon shot, who was staying at the hotel, arrived shortly after the outbreak, being concerned with the recovery of his guns. The police would not allow him upstairs. He made several attempts to climb the fire escape hot each time was prevented from doing so. However, when a. constable was called from his post near the escape Balk clambered up and secured the guns. Great damage was done to the hotel, three floors being burned out-.