VICTIMS OF FLOOD DISASTER

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22376, 13 April 1938, Page 10

VICTIMS OF FLOOD DISASTER

Compensation for Their Dependants

PRINCIPLE APPROVED BY

CABINET

Compensation, the Cabinet has decided, will be paid to the dependants of the 19 victims of the Kopuawhara camp disaster early in the morning of February 19. “Although the disaster was caused by an act of God, the Cabinet has agreed with the principle that the men lost their lives while in the execution of their duty,” the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) said yesterday, when questioned by “The Press.”

That principle having been established, full information was now being obtained by the Public yforks Department as to the dependants of the men, and compensation would be worked out when the data were obtained. INFORMATION SOUGHT IN ENGLAND

LETTER FROM WIDOW OF A VICTIM

(FSB 88 ASSOCIATION! TSLSOSAIT.)

AUCKLAND, April 12.

Asking for full particulars as to the fate of her husband, Frank W. Fry, aged 51, who was one of the victims in the Kopuawhara tragedy on February 19, Mrs Catherine Fry, of Blackpool, England, has written to the “New Zealand Herald.”

“My husband, F. W. Fry, is named kmong the victim*, and I would be relieved to know what happened, as 1 am left bereft with three young children,” says Mrs Fry. “He was working hard to raise,,money for us to join him in New Zealand; but he had had long- spells of unemployment, and could not make much headway. We are all in great distress here at the sudden sad loss, and if you will send me papers giving the fullest ac» counts, I will be very thankful” The information will b<j sent on to Mrs Fry, and it may be some small comfort for her and her children to know that Mr Fry died in a heroic but futile attempt to rescue one of the victims, Edward Mcßiven, aged 28 Mr Fry also made a gallant attempt to rescue Miss Martha Quinn, the only woman victim. Ignoring pleas made by other survivors, who knew that Miss Quinn’s hut was one of the first .swept away, and that she had gone with it, Mcßiven, who was a particular friend of Miss Quinn, plunged into the raging, flood in a vain attempt to find Miss Quinn’s hut, until he was swallowed up and disappeared. Mr Fry, who was on the roof of the cookhouse with other survivors. then made an attempt to reach the girl. Others tried to prevent him, but he called out: “I’ll give it a go;" and went hand over hand along the edge of the roof. He, too, disappeared.