BALL ROAD FIRE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 4 May 1925, Page 4

BALL ROAD FIRE.

HELP FOR THE MEAD FAMILY. “STAR” LISTS OPENED. In a letter published in Saturday’s Star Mr. S. E. (not F. E.) Macdonald, of Kakaramea," appealed tor, help lor the Mead family who, in addition to losing everything of their material property in the Ball Road .fire last week* suffered the terrible ordeal of seeing their infant daughter perish in the name-'. Subscription lists were opened last week at the Kiakaramea, Alton and Manutalri post offices, while amounts may also be forwarded to Mr. Macdonald direob. lh case there should be some outside the immediate neighbourhood of the fire who would like to assist in alleviating what is undoubtedly a most deserving ease of distress, ■ Star lists have also been opened. One is at The Star office and another hais been placed in the office of Messrs. Laurenson and Jnnes; and' subscriptions to either, of these, after acknowledgment in the columns of The Star, will be sent on to Mr. Macdonald.

THE INQUEST, j.

(From Our Paten Correspondent.)

An inquest was, held at the courthouse touching the death of Irene Mead, who was burnt. to.death through a house <3wheel by Mr. .l. S. Matt, oi Bali Road, Kakaramea., being' destroyed by fire. Air. E. F.‘ Hemingway, actingcoroner, conducted the inquiry, and Mr. A. T. Christensen was chosen foreman of the jury. I Dr. Simmons said he had .seen the remiai ns produced by Constable Armour-, and apparently they were those of a .child a few months, old. <■

Joseph Samuel Watt said he was dairy farming in conjunction witlf' hi'S brother, R. J. Watt, on Ball Road, Kafcaramea.. He was a single man and lived in his own house.. He employed Air. Edgar Alead and his wife, and they all lived together jn his house. On the morning of tdje 30th he arose at 5 o’clock .and lighted «the primus lamp, which was on a bench in the scullery, to. boil some water for morning tea; Air. and Airs. Alead and he afl had a cup of tea before going to the milking shed. „ He left the house for the shed about 5.15 a.m., and Afr. Mewl followed about five minutes later and Airs. Mead a little later. About 7 o'clock he heard the children screaming, and on looking out of the shed he saw the house in flames. They all ran up to the house as quickly a,s possible and commenced to break in windows with a view to entering the house, hut were beaten black oa every occasion. He then tried to get in the by back door, but the fiie was. more severe there than anywhere else, arid he could net enter on account of flames and smoke. Nothing further could be done. When he left for the milking shed, the children were in bed excepting one bojr of about three yea'rs old. The fire appeared to be chiefly in the. kitchen: The range --i n the kitchen • was not lighted that morning. ‘ The ■ hot-waiter service was 'in goo: 1 order and the house had ’been erected about.-, four yeans. He had known the .hot-water cistern to get hot at times. He had no idea of the origin of the fire and could not form any opinion. The children could not get at the methylated spirits, and only a -very small quantity was kept in the house. ■_ j Edgar Alead said that he and* his wife were employed as milkers by Air. J. S, Watt on his farm at Kakaraonea. He was the 1 , father of the deceased, Irene Alead.' She was born at Alamaia on November 25, 1924. On Thursday morning last lie arose shortly after 5.0 a.m. and had morning tea. with his wife and Air. J. Watt. One of his boy®, Harold, aged three years, also go-t up and had a cup of tea.. The primus lamp was alight when he got up, but was out 'before he left the house. Went to the milking shed about 5.15 a.m. The boy had not gone back to bed when he left the house. It wais about 7 o’clock when they received the alarm from the childreji. They all went to t-lie house 'as quickly as possible, which was found- to he a mass of 'flames. He tried to get into the house by the back door, but was driven back by the flaimeg and s<moko j then went to the front door and knocked it in with an axe< bub the smoke drove him back. It was absolutely impossible for anyone to enter the house. When he left the house the baby was in, bed With her brother. His son Stanley told him that the* baby was in. her pram in the kitchen. Erie Stanley Alead said he was rt yeans of acce ■ be was in .standard 11, and remembered the morning of ' the fire. He and his\brother .slept in [a room next to that occupied by his parents. He remembered his father and mother getting up that morning,, and he was left in charge of the baby. About haif-an-honr later he got up and wheeled the baby into the kitchen j it was, not dark. .He washed the cups that had been used for the morn-ing-tea, .swept out the house and then went outside to get some chips to make a fire in the range; his two brothers were with him while he was getting the chips, and the baby was lent in the house. While getting the wood his brothers called out that the house was on fire, and' looking up be saw flames' issuing from the kitchen window'.- lie , ran to the house, but could not get. any further than the scullery on account of the smoke a.nd flames. He could not see the prarm, nor did he hear the baby calling out. He then ran towards the milking shed to call his parents. Miriam, Alead said that they had only been on the farm for three weeks. She always put the milk for the baby on the primus in the morning to warm it. ’She put out the primus and left- it on the bench for over half an hour. After she had had -a cup of 'tea I she gave the baiby her bottle, and wheeled the pram back into the bedroom.. She then, put the primus away and went down to the mi Ik mg .shed. The primus- was quite 'eofel when vshe pub it away. There were no : candles alight when «he left the house. She could rot form any idea of how the fire originated, . Constable Armour' gave evidence as to thb finding of the remains of the child. . . The jury brought in the following verdict: “That the deceased, Irene Mead, met her death accidentally, through a fire which occurred in a house of Mr. J. -S. Watt, at- Ivakarsmen,. and there is no. evidence .to show how the -fire originated.” The jury added a rider expressing sympathy with the parents in their sad bereavement. "At the close of Master Eric Stanley Mead’s evidence, the coroner and foreman of the jury complimented the witness on the very straightforward maifufr in which he gave his evidence.