INQUEST

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 108, 8 May 1923, Page 2

INQUEST

DEATH OF PHYLLIS PORTER.

An inquest was held this morning be> fore Mr. Hunt, S.M., Coroner, into the circumstances surrounding the death o£ Phyllis Porter, aged nineteen, a member of the ballet of the "Peep Show" Company, who sustained burns at the Opera House on Thursday last, which resulted in her death on Sunday. Dr. Colin C. M'Laurin, house surgeon at the Wellington Hospital, said deceased , was admitted at 8.40 p.m. on Thursday, she was suffering from burns and severe shock. Anti-shock methods were used, and the burns dressed. She was restless during the night, but improved in the morning. On Friday evening she became worse, and gradually sank, dying on 6th May, at 8.30 p.m. She died as i the result of burns, delayed shock, and other complications. There was a pneumonia complication, which arose irom the injury. May Harris, ballet-girl in'the "Peep show said she was standing in the wings with deceased about 8.10 p.m. on Thursday. Witness saw a flash of light, and looking round saw her companion was on fire. Miss Porter ran from the : stage, and witness thought some one I threw a coat round her. The switch | which'caused, the fire was one that wae ; always carried with the company, and ; was always in the "prompt" corner. The ; dress worn by deceased was of net, edged , with tinsel. The tinsel was of light | wire. The dress- was in layers of net I and one of the tinsel edges apparently touched the switch causing the flame. I Witness had often seen the switch, and [ had stood alongside it many times, and : had never seen any accident wife it. It j had been removed. i Frank W, R. White, stage manager for the company, said Miss Porter evidently moved too near the switchboard when j taking, up her position. Seeing the names, witness endeavoured to pull the | dress off, then deceased started to run, . and, following advice, ran outside, where Mr. Davis flung a coat round her and j rolled her on the ground. Deceased acted very bravely. She. was immediately taken to hospital. Everybody at the ! theatre did what they could."" Witness had nothing to wrap round her 4 and .the thing was all so quicU he could riot take effective measures. In years of experi- | ence he had never heard of such an occurrence. ' The girl must have been exactly the right height for the dress to touch.on the switch terminals. L. M. Davis, chief mechanician with the company, said Miss Porte* did not' call out, except to say "Put me out! Put me out J" Witness said she rushed past like a ball of fire. He pulled off his coat, and- wrapped it round her. The flames were Soon extinguished. He said the wounds were dressed while they waited for a taxi. She had practically no clothing left, a,nd was very badly burned. Witness had made over thirty trips with J. C. Williamson, Ltd., and a switchboard had always been carried and placed in the "prompt" entrance. This was the first accident he had ever seen. F. W. Amery', electrician with tile company, said he had examined the switch. It showed that a piece of wire or tinsel had made a short circuit. Evidence was given by Superintendent Tait, of the Wellington Fire Brigade, as to the switch fire. He said the switch .>ya,s.,in,,good, order and repair. It would have required a wide stretch of imagination to see the need for providing against such an accident. The girl had to be the exact heijj}tt for the .tinsel to-.be'in exactly the right position to connect the terminals. The verdict was in accordance with tha medical conclusions, the Coroner finding that the fire was due to misadventure.