FIRE IN VICTORIA STREET.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 82, 7 April 1913, Page 6

FIRE IN VICTORIA STREET.

BOARDING HOUSE GUTTED. SOME EXCITING INCIDENTS. SIX BOARDERS SAVED BY LADDERS. FIREMAN BRADIrEY'S PLIGHT.

Some exciting incidents were compressed into the space of about ten minutes yesterday, during the progress of a fire in a small boardiughouse at the coiner of Victoria and Federal Streets. No less than six of the inmates were rescued from the upper windows by means of the bidders of the Fire Brigade. While searching inside the building for the inmates, Fireman Bradley had the misfortune to be overcome by the smoke. Although there was some little difficulty in locating his whereabouts, he was safely brought outside, and was little the worse for the dangerous plight.

The fireman at the watch tower on Collins' Building 3, Wyndham Street noticed smoke issuing from the boardinghouse shortly after 4 a.m. yesterday, and at once gave the alarm, with the result tluut the brigade was promptly in attendance from the central station. , The fire proved to be in an old two- : storey wooden building, occupied by Miss j Elizabeth Smith as a boardinghouse. j The premises are fully fifty years old, and on the eastern side had been sheathed with corrugated iron, with which material the roof was also covered. Formerly the corner was occupied as a butcher's shop, but more recently by a builder. ' When the brigade arrived, dense volumes of smoke were issuing from the Victoria Street side of the premises. It was noticed that several persons were at the windows in the i upper storey, partially hidden by the j thick smoke. The cries of the onlookere quickly drew attention to the boarders, ■ and the brigade soon removed them to ' a more safe position by means of the ladders. Six boarders were thus rescued, but one woman had a narrow escape, as. ! she collapsed when coming down tho stair, but was, however, carried out safely. A coloured man named Johnston, who got cut while breaking glass to get out, was removed to the police station, where his wounds, which proved ; not to be dangerous, were bound up. Constable Drummond, who passed the building at 3.50 o'clock, noticed no sign of fire. He, with Constable Cumminsrs, was soon hack at the preliiscs, and took Miss Smith and a boarder, who were very lightly attired, to the Aurora Hotel, where they were looked after. Several of the boarders left in such a hurry that they had very little covering, but were supplied by various neighbours. Deputy-Superintendent Wilson had the narrowest escape of anyone concerned in the outbreak. He was searching inside the building, and finding himself on the point of suffocation, made a rush for one of the first-floor windows, across the fiill of which he fell insensible. The force of the fall sent him over too far, and a second later he overbalanced, and •fell right out of the window. Luckily, ■one of the firemen saw what was happening, and stepped forward in time to break his fall, with the result that Mr. ; Wilson escaped injury. He soon recovi ered from the effects of the smoke.

j Although the building was an old one, I and the fire had a good' hold by the time 1 the brigade arrived, still it was got under within ten minutes, which was a bit of smart work, as the Miter walls arc practically undamaged. Therp is a hole in the roof through whielrthe flrc forcel its way. The damage is not serious, as the insurable value of such very old premises was not large,added to which some furniture had been removed the previous day. The origin of the fire is unknown, but it would appear to have started in the kitchen, and by spreading to the staircase, rendered the position of occupants in the bedrooms upstairs somewihat dangerous until the arrival of . the brigade.