HOTEL FIRE TRAGEDY

Evening Star, Issue 20318, 29 October 1929, Page 7

HOTEL FIRE TRAGEDY

MOTHER AND CHILD BURNT HUSBAND'S VAIN EFFORT [Pee United Press Association.] INVERCARGILL, October 8. A fire tragedy, one ot the most distressing for many years, occurred at Riverton in the early hours of this morning. With terrible rapidity the flames destroyed the . old Carriers’ Arms Hotel, and in the conflagration the wife and little child ot the licensee, Mr W. Trembath, were burnt to death. So devastating m its rapid spread through the o'd building was the lire that the fourteen boarders had literally to fly for their lives. Some left the blazing building by means of the fire escapes. There w.v no time to save their property or possessions. Mr Trembatli made his way from the upper floor if the building with two of his children. Mrs Trembatb took charge of the othei child, but the heat, smoke, and falling debris proved too much for her When Mr Trembath found that she had not followed him and the two children tc safety ho made a desperate endeavour to fight hack into the inferno and save them, but was burnt about the head, face, arms, and hands, and could not make his way. Later, when the fire had reduced the building to smouldering nuns the charred remains of Mn Trembath and the child were found in a position which showed that the bodies had fallen through when the floor collapsed.

It was about 2.30 a.m. when the fire broke out. The Carriers’ Arms Hotel, which was an old two-story building, was built partly of brick and partly of wood. The front portion, facing on to Palmerston street, was of brick, but the rear part, including the kitchen, was built of wood.

The fire began, it appears, in the kitchen, though the cause cannot be exactly determined. In five minutes the flames could be seen through the front windows, and shortly afterwards the building was a seething furnace. Naturally few people were abroad in the streets at the time, but the noise of the flames and startled cries of the men and women roused the residents of the neighbourhood The flames, shooting straight up, rose high in the sky. Scantily-clad refugees from the conflagration, w'ho had been unable to do more than escape without a chance to save any of their clothing or valuables, were taken to nearby houses and hotels. Terrible as were the results of the outbreak it was largely owing to a fortunate circumstance that the damage to property was not much more extensive. There was no wind at the time, and the flames, confined to some extent by brick walls, shot straight into the air. Had they been fanned to either side the adjoining properties could scarcely have been saved. Little could possibly have been done to stop the fir© spreading, for, in thf borough of Riverton, no publu fire-fighting apparatus is provided.

Mr Trcmbath is well-known as a brilliant athlete, the hoklei oi many trophies for running and othci sports. After living in Invercargill for some time he and his family removed about two years ago to Riverton, where ho took over the proprietorship of the Carriers’ Anns Hotel, one of the old established licensed houses in the town.

Mrs Trembath was about thirty-eight years of age, and tho little, girl, Moira, with whom she perished, was five years old. Tho two other children were uninjured. The hotel, which was owned by Mr C. Berryman, now of the Commercial Hotel, Waikaia, was insured, but the amount is not at present available.