TWO MEN SUFFOCATED.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 139, 12 June 1905, Page 5

TWO MEN SUFFOCATED.

______:—fc__,— FATAi KESBXT OF A THA3CES rnt£. BRIAN BORTJ HOTEL PARTX.Y DESTROYED. (By Telegrapn.—Press Association.) THAMES, Sunday. At three o'clock this morning the Brian Bora Hotel, a two-storeyed I building containing over 40 rooms, -was discovered to be on fire. The fire com- j meneed in the large eastern wing, and the flames spread with lightning-iike rapidity along the passages of the upper storey, rendering escape by the occupants difficult. The fire had obtained a firm hold when the brigade appeared, and was suppressed only when the whole of the upper portion of the hotel had been destroyed. The lower part of the building was completely gutted. All of the inmates, except two. managed to escape, though many of them were clad only in their night apparel. Mr. Peter McNab. a member of the firm of Mason and McNab. monumental masons, Auckland, and Mr Joseph Shel- I don, a bushman from Turua district, near the Thames, lost their lives. The bedrooms of both men -were situated in a portion of the building where the fire raged fiercest, and when the fire was overcome the bodies of the anfortunate men were discovered in their rooms. I Mr MeNab was partly dressed, and had evidently been endeavouring to i reach the door when he was overcome j by suffocating fumes to which he succumbed. His body, which was found alongside of his bed. was partly burnt. I Mr Sheldon must have been asphyxi- | ated with greater suddenness. His body was found lying across his bed, j only slightly burnt. Mr McNab was a man of about fifty years. He leaves a wife and family in Auckland. Mr Sheldon was a single man. It is believed that he had no relatives in the colony. Many of the inmates had narrow escapes, and lost everything, including a goodly quantity of jewellery and other valuables. The hotel was owned and occupied by Mrs Kate TwohiLL an old resident of the Thames. The hotel was rebuilt a few months ago. FURTHER DETAILS. INQUEST OPENED AND ADJOURNED. i INSURANCES TOTAL £3200. ißy Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) THAMES, this day. There is not a great deal to add in connection wi h the disastrous fire that occurred yesterday at the Brian Boru Hutel. Mr James Twohill. manager, returned froni Auckland yesterday, and confirmed the insurances as under: —On building, -1500 in the Norwich Union. £700 in the Phoenix, and £500 in tht New Zealand, a total of £ 2700? but only _500 on the furniture, in the Liverpool. London, and Globe. The greatest sympathy is extended towards the widow of Mr McNab and the relatives of Sheldon, and Mrs Twohill and family. To them the shock hebeen a severe one. and most of the lad} members of the family were quite pros trated. Many offers of assistance wer. j received from residents of the Thames, while telegrams of sympathy were received from all parts of the peninsula and Auckland. The inquest on th _• two victims. Robert McNab and Joseph Sheldon, was commenced at the Courthouse this morning, before Mr Albert Bruce, coroner. Ed i ward Hector Wing, shipping clerk, of ', Auckland, son-in-law of Mr McNab, i identified the body as his father-in-law, I who was, he stated, aged 35. Deceased ' left Auckland ten days ago for the Wai- ; kato and Thames in connection with his business. James Millar, bushman, of Turua, idenI tified Joseph Sheldon as his mate, 43 ,' years of age, a native 1 * of Ireland. He did not know how long he had been in I the colony. Dr. Lapraik gave evidence as to an I examination of both bodies, which were both partly clothed. Some of the clothes j were burnt off, and the body in some places was blistered. He stated that death was due to suffocation by smoke. At this stage the coroner intimated that the inquest would be adjourned till Thursday, when the inquiry into the ! circumstances surrounding the death of both men would be proceeded with. He also said that an inquiry would be held ■ as to the origin of the fire, and a jury j was empanelled and ordered to attend I at the Courthouse at 6.30 pjn. j To-day a search of the building resulted in the recovery of a small quantity | of jewellery, but the loss to the inmates is considerable. The whole of the lower i part of the building is gutted, while the upper portion is completely destroy- ! cd. The loss to the proprietress must ; be heavy, but with her usual consider I aieness Mrs Twohill minimises her loss. | her main thought being that of regret ; at the fatality which caused two valu- | able lives to be lost. The jury unanij mously passed a vote of condolence to Mrs McNab in her sad bereavement. THE LATE MR McNAB. The late Mr Peter McNab was well known in this city, having resided here for the last 23 years. His brother. Mr Geo. McNab, arrived first in the colony, and for some time carried on business 1 as a grocer on the wharf. He then j sent Home for his brother, Mr Peter McNab, who subsequently started in business as a monumental mason, the firm being now well known as MeNab and Mason. Deceased was a native of Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Scotland, and latterly resided at Normanby-road. Mt. Eden. At one time he was a member oi ! the Mt. Eden Road Board. He also be longed to the Fountain of Friendship Lodge, 1.0.0.F.. M.U. Mr McNab was an elder of St. David's Presbyteriar Church, and also a member of the choir The news of his death was receivec while the minister (Rev. W. Gray Dixon . M.A.) and the elders were holding th; - prayer meeting in the vestry prior t( - the commencement of the service. It i i; a somewhat singular incident that jus r i a year ago yesterday morning anothe: j elder (Mr W. Anderson) died suddenly a ] while the prayer meeting was bein; f j held in the vestry. At the close of th -1 morning service yesterday the organis played the "Dead ilarchl'' During th

afternoon the pulpit and communion rails were draped in black by the ladies of the church, and at the evening service "Crossing the Bar' and "Now the Labourers Task is O'er* were sting by the choiri Mr MeNab left Auckland last Monday en a business trip through the Waikato and the GoldSelds, reaching the Thames on Friday night. He had reached the age of 56 years, and leaves a widow, four sons, and two daughters. One daughter is the wife of Mr E. H. Wing, of the Union S.S. Co.'s Auckland office. Two sons are in South Airica. The many friends of Mr MeNab and family were deeply grieved when the information was received of the sad occurrence.