THE FATAL FIRE AT RANGIORA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1049, 11 February 1911, Page 13

THE FATAL FIRE AT RANGIORA.

CANTERBURY PILGRIM'S DEATH. (By TelcrraplK-Speclal Correspondent.) Chrlstchuroh, Fobruary 10. Miss Frances Thornton Dudley, who died last night from tho effect of injuries received when her houso at Rangiora was burned down yesterday morning, was ono of tho Canterbury pilgrims, having at tho ago of eleven years accompanied'her father, tho lato Archdeacon Dudley, from England in tho ship'Crossy, 'of which ho was chaplain. Over fifty years of her lifo was spent in Rangiora, and having all the charitablo characteristics of her father, whoso life was an oxamplo. of largcheartedness,. she was esteemed by tho whole. community. During lato years she-lived much in Her brother Mr. O. T. Dudley, who is well know.i in Christchurch, now resides at Motuoka. ..--■■ The house "Earnloy'f was one of the early landmarks, tho main portion having oeen erected by Archdeacon Dudley .about fifty years ago, and named by him after his first English curacy.' It contained • nine or ten rooms, and in tho early days was ono of tho finest residences in Norti : Canterbury. At tho death of Archdeacon Dudley it bocame the property of his son, tho late Archdeacon Dudley, of 'Auckland, but Miss Dudley continued to reside in it. The firo evidently started in tho back part of the building, but tho outbreak cannot be accounted ' for. Tho occupants of tho honso wcro'Miss Dudley and hor nieco, Miss Hopo Dudley. At about twenty minutes to three in tho morning they were aroused from sleep by the barkings of a terrier dog in a room adjoining tho kitchen. Miss Dudley, who slept in a room on tho ground floor, finding tho placo on fire, attempted to save tho. dog ; but on opening the doqr of tho room m which it was confined was ovorcorno .by a rush of flarao and smoke, and fell down on the kitchen floor. Miss Hope Dudley searched in vain for her'aunt', and then ran for .help to tho vicarage, a short distance aWay. On returning to tho housO sho hoard Miss Dudley calling, and braving tho.flames tndsmoke blio mado her way to the kitchen, and with great difficulty found her aunt lying on tho floor, and dragged her oat of the houso on to tho lawn. Miss Dudley and her niece were cared for at tho vicarage. Miss Hopo Dudley escaped without' serii .ous injury, but it was found that Miss I Dudley had been'severely burned about the face and both hands, and being of advanced ago, and in-poor health, sho had suffered a-severo shock. Sho succumbed to her.injuries at about 7.30 p.m. ' '~"