FATAL FIRE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 17, 31 October 1938, Page 5

FATAL FIRE

NELSON NURSE LOSES LIFE. five others injured. DESTRUCTION OF HOME. (Per Press Association.) NELSON, October 20. * One nurse was burned to death and five others suffered shock and injuries in jumping from upper storey windows, when the nurses’ home extension building, near the main nurses’ home of the Nelson Public Hospital, was destroyed by fire at 2 o’clock this morning. Fifteen nurses were in the building. They had no warning that the home was on fire until they were awakened by flames, which, filling 'the corridors, cut off escape by the two staircases. v The victims were:—

Dead. Nurse Harry Rothwell, aged 22. Her mother, Mrs J. Tavener, lives at Belfield, Geraldine. Injured. Sister M. Beardsley, fairly severe burns to face and arms, and shock. Sister E. W. Wilson, shock,, slight burns and strained back. Nurse J.'Cook, shock and abrasions. Sister O. Gill, fracture of a .small bone in a foot. - Sister V. Males, shock and abrasions. Nurse Rotlnvell was apparently suffocated while sleeping. She had been training at the Nelson Hospital for the last three and: a half years. The building was nearly enveloped inflames when the Nelson Eire Brigade arrived at 1.57 a.m., two minutes after it had received the alarm at too station. Evidently the flames hatf a strong hold in the building before the fire was noticed and the nurses sleeping upstairs were trapped. A man who drove past the building in his car noticed nothing untoward, but when going over a slight rise in the road only 150 yards away from -the building, ho saw flames reflected in the rear vision mirror of his car. He stopped and saw flames at the southern eud of the building. Before he had run back half the distance, flames were coming out of windows along the whole length of the home, and all parts of the buildings were on fire. No Panic. He saw nurses running out of the front entrance. There were several screams, but nothing that could he described as panic. t, A fire escape from one room on the northern side of tho front entrant o was thrown out of the window, .and a number of nurses got out by that means. Other nurses jumped from their bedroom windows, a. distance of 20 feet, to the lawns, suffering heavy falls. The motorist, when interviewed, said that when he readied the building from his car, which was only 150 yards away, the fire had such a strong hold that it was, impossible for anyone to enter the arrival of the fire brigade. How so many of the nurses escaped was a miracle to him.

“I have been puzzled to know how the flames burst out so quickly from all parts of the building,” he said.. As soon as a search was possible, Nurse Rothwell’s body was found, on the wire mattress of the bed in her room in the upper storey of the building. The building, which ivas of wood covered with rough-cast, contained .a sitting-room, 25 bedrooms, an ironing room, conveniences, and a boiler room for a central heating system under .the building. Each room '\v(as provided with a flexible iron fire escape ladder. At the inquest, which was opened and adjourned, Air T. E. Maunsell, S.M., the Coroner, ivas satisfied that the charred remains were those oi Nurse Harry Roth well. Dr. P. G. E. Brunette, Aledical Superintendent, said that the body ivas recovered from the building at approximately 5 a.m. to-day. The body, which Avas charred, beyond recognition, Avas lying on the Avire mattress of the bed in the room usually occupied by Nurse Rotlrwell. She was the only nurse who usually slept in the building who Avas not accounted for. * Nurqe Joan Alice Smith said that she had slept in the building until she was called at 12.15 a.ni. At 10.30 o’clock the previous evening, Nurse RotliAvell had been in Avitness’s room talking to her, Nurse Rothwell’s room was next to hers. Nurse Rot'hwell left intending to go to bed.

NURSES SENT FROM BLENHEIM. V BLENHEIAI, This Day. Two staff nurses and a quantity of nurses’ uniforms baA r e been dispatched by the Alaiiborough Hospital Board to Nelson to relieA r e the situation that lias arisen in, the Public Hospital there as a result of the fine in the Nurses’ Home.