THE SCENE TO-DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 128, 31 May 1901, Page 5

THE SCENE TO-DAY.

RECOVERY O¥ THE BODIES

All this morning and throughout the day a large crowd of people was assembled outside the hotel watching the ruined building. Inside a party of firemen and salvage corps men were busy piny ing- the hose on the smouldering- remains of the fire. On the side nearest the Masonic Hall a large portion of the brick wall of the upper floor had fallen outwards, and remained In a dangerous position leaning- ag-ainst the hall and across the narrow division between the two buildings. Just at the foot of the wall, on the ground floor of the hoteJ, smoke was still rising- this morning from a heap of blackened debris, and water was being- thrown on it from ■the hose all the forenoon. Once the firemen had to leave the spot because of an ominous crack in the brick above, and they then played the water on to the steaming- heap from a little safer distance.

It was close by here, on the basement of the building, partly covered with debris, that the remains of the poor little girls were found this morning. Acting*-Fireman Harper was the man who first discovered the bodies. He was attending- to thi| hose near the northern wall, when he noticed a stroftg1 smell as of burnt flosh. On lifting- some sheets of iron (which had fallen from the roof) the blackened and unrecognisable remains of the children were seen— a pitiful sight. The trunks only of the bodies were found. The remains were removed by the Fire Brigade men, and were taken to the morgue. The bodies had fallen from the top storey when the floors were burnt.

The firemen considered this morning- that the body of the gentleman reported missing- might very possibly be found buried underneath the debris in another part of the building. Up to noon the police had made no search for the remains.