THE ELTHAM FIRE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 26 March 1926, Page 4

THE ELTHAM FIRE.

INQUEST ON VICTIMS. EVIDENCE OE IDENTIFICATION. The inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of the lfour victims of the fire which totally destroyed the Dominion boarding-house at Eltham in the early hours of Wednesday morning was opened at the Magistrate’s Court at Eltham yesterMr. J. W. Stubbs, J.P. (actingcoroner), presided, and the jury comprised Messrs H. G. Carman, J.P. (foreman), J. Phillips, J.P., G. V . Peebles, and R. Payne. Sergeant J. Henry conducted the inquiry, and intimated that it was proposed at this stage to take only the evidence of identification,Dr. L. Saunders, of Eltham, the first witness called, deposed to having examined the bodies of the four deceased, the bodies being charred and the. features unrecognisable. He identi. fled two of the bodies as those of females. One was that of a stoutly built woman, corresponding to the appearance of Priscilla Rebecca. Creufeldt, whom witness had known previously. He should judge the other body to be similar to that of Cecilia Harrison, |rvliom witness had also known. 'The other two bodies were identifiable as those of males. One was that of a man of medium build, consistent with the description given of the body of Victor Davidson. The other body was that of a well-built, sturdy male. It was impossible to definitely state the cause of death, though "there was no doubt that the bodies had been through the fire. LOCATION OF ROOMS. William James Calder, labourer, of Eltham, who had resided at the board-ing-house, stated in evidence that he had assisted the proprietress (Mrs. Taylor) in the management of the house. He was practically the last to retire on the night of the fire. There were ten persons in the house, eight occupying upstairs rooms. Witness occupied a room in the front of the house downstairs, and the proprietress occupied a loom on the ground floor facing Railway Street. Mrs. Crenfeldt and Miss Harrison had been employed as cook and waitress respectively at the boarding-house, and occupied the same room, number two, upstairs. Victor Davidson was a lodger that evening, and occupied a room on the eastern side of , the upstairs portion of the house. George Nielsen was also a lodger arid occupied a room on the west side of the house. V'itnesss had seen the . four persons named on the night of the fire. At about two o’clock on the morning of the 24th witness discovered the house to be on fire, and endeavoured; to arouse the other occupants. Six of the persons who had slept in the house had been accounted for, but Mrs. Cfenfeldt, Miss Harrison, \ and Messrs Victor Davidson and Nielsen were missing. He. was present when Constable Townsend had recovered • the bodies of four persons, and) would say they had been founds in positions relative to the location of the rooms occupied by the four persons named as missing. From the description given he would say that the bodies referred to by the previous witness were those of the persons he had named, and that the fourth body was that of George Charles Nielsen- It would be impossible to have identified the bodies except by descriptions of their, previous appearance and the positions among the ruins in which they had been found. RECOVERY OF BODIES. Constable F. H. Townsend stated he had been aroused by. the fire alarm, at about 2 o’clock on the morning of the 24th, and on arrival oil the scene found the brigade at work. The whole place was in flames. It was not known at that time whether any of the occupants were still'in the building, but it was known that some had got out. Later it was definitely ascertained that four persons were missing. Mr. Calder had explained the position of the rooms they occupied, and at about 6 a.m., when the fire had died down sufficiently, witness had made a search in the debris in the locality corresponding with their rooms. Deputy Superintendent Murray had assisted in the search. The first body recovered was on the east side of the building, in a position beneath the previous position. of the room which had been occupied by Davidson. The next two bodies recovered were found near the centre of the building towards the west side, corresponding to the position of the room occupied by Mrs. Orenfeldt and Miss Harrison. ’They were lying face down within a foot of each other, and one had its hands clashed across the breast with piece of blanket between the charred remains of the hands and the body. The fourth body was found on the west side close to the wall, in a position corresponding to the location of the room which Nielsen had occupied. He had known Mrs. Crenfeldt, Miss Harrison, and Messrs Nielsen and Davidson, and the description of the bodies given by the doctor would tally with the knowledge witness had of their appearance. Charred bedding and female clothing found with the bodties of the two females showed that they were probably in the bedroom when the building collapsed Adhering to the charred body believed to be that of Davidson was a portion of a flax mattress, indicating that he had not left his bedroom. Close to the body which presumably was that of Nielsen were the remains of a bedstead, also indicating that he had not left his room. RELATIVES’ EVIDENCE.

Lilian May Commerer, married, residing in Railway Street, ELthaim, a daughter of Mrs Cranfeldt, stated the latter had been, employed for the last five weeks as a cook at the Dominion boardinghouse. Prior to that time she had beeu living with witness, .and after the 24th she proposed returning to reside at witness’s house.- . Mrs Cranfe’dt had been born on February 26, 1873. Walter Edwin Harrison, labourer, residing at Eltham, stated that Irene Cecelia Harrison . was his daughter. She was born on August 5, 1908. She had been employed at the boardinghouse for the past two months. She was of slim build, and her body would be similar to on e of those described by the doctor. Charles Christian Nielsen, employee of the Taranaki Electric Power Board lit Tariki, said that George Charles Nielsen was his son. He had been employed by Mr C. A. Belcher, grocer, of Eltham. and resided at the Dominion boardinghouse. He was born bn November 30, 1904. He. was of strong build and about 5 feet 10 inches in height. Major Alexander Armstrong, officer in charge of the Salvation Army Boys’ Home at E'tham, said Victor Davidson had been an inmate of the home, and had recently been employed in the Eltham district as a farm labourer. He had no parents. On March 16 lie had left his employment and returned to the home while looking for another position. On March 23 his brother George had arrived from Bulls, and

the two brothers had remained at the home until about 9 p.m. George had. intended to stay at Eltham that evening, and as far as witness knew Victor had accompanied him to the town. Victor had previously intended to remain at the home that evening. The description given by the doctor in referring to one of the bodies would agree with whait witness knew of Victor Davidson’s appearance. Victor Davidson had been born on December 18, 1906. ' No further evidence was called, and the inquest was adjourned until 10 a.m. on Monday, March 29.