CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LX, Issue LX, 29 December 1910, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE. (To the Editor.) Sir, — Reading through your report of the recent fire at Mrs May's boardinghouse, I notice with regret that only a casual mention has been made of Mr Pearce, as it was solely due to the unselfish and plucky efforts made by this gentleman towards the saving of life and property that the proprietress was able to escape with her life, and that the fire did not have a more disastrous ending. On discovering a fierce blaze in the kitchen he with great promptness alarmed the staff, who, sleeping directly opposite the- kitchen with locked . doors, were m a position of great danger; at the same time dragging out one of the girls' boxes to a place where it could be removed by her with safety. He then rushed upstairs to awake the simpers there. Apparently all were on the road to safety, with none too much time to Spare, when he turned his attention to his own belongings, but was diverted by screams from the proprietress, who having got into a bedroom was prevented by shock and fright from making her escape. He got her with difficulty on to the balcony, and being cut off by the flames made his way down a post to the ground for a ladder. Seeing that a ladder was being brought in response to his call, he re-entered the burning building, and in some manner got on to the balcony- again, although by that time the floor was burnt through in places and flames were coming from almost every window. That Mrs May was not able to get down unhurt was due to the shortness of the ladder. It was amextremely risky thing to do to go back into tho building, considering the rapid way in which the fire travelled and the state of the floors,, and I think some tvord of tribute is due to Mr Pearce, more especially so as in spite of being the first to be aroused he saved nothing out of a very valuable lot of personal belongings, having abandoned them to render to others assistance which, had it been withheld for a few moments, would almost certainly have had fatal results. — I am, etc., PRESENT. December 29, 1910. IN REPLY. (To the Editor.) Sir, — Under Local and General of Saturday's Star my attention was drawn to what "The Reporter" writes to the Opunake Times, etc. What appears in the Opunake Times does not concern me. Apologising for trespassing on your valuable space, and with hearty good wishes. — I am, etc., ARTHUR McSEOWN.