DEATH IN FIRE

Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1936, Page 4

DEATH IN FIRE

FILM BLAZE XX WELLINGTON ■'Per Press Association—Copyright). WELLINGTON, July 19. Trapped in a Thorndon building, filled with the intensely hot flames of burning celluloid, following an explo:*.ion of a cinematograph film, Gurther Uerfont, a German, suffered burns on Saturday afternoon, which caused his death in the hospital at 6 a.m. this morning. The explosion happened, in the garage and store.of J. .T. Curtis and Co., Ltd., in Harriett Street, where Herfoot and an assistant, Frank Jocelyn, were packing old cinematograph film for export, it is undstood to Germany, where the chemicals are extracted. The film was being packed into zinc-lined cases about 5 feet fiv 2 feet by 2feet 6 ... i .. ■- v* •» inches, and the work wes being done in a stable with a large opening in which stood a motor lorry. ‘ The ‘‘■'■plosion occurred \vhen .Tocelvn was soldering up a‘ seam in the zinc ' lining of a cake. He was blown out of the door, without being injured serionslv, and the building became filled with flames of. the blazing film; Hertfoot was less fortunate. He was on the roof of a concrete dang“rou s good store, further inside the building, getting down more cases in which to pack the film, and he had to climb down and make his way past the lo»ry to get out of the building. His clothes were on fire from head to foot. He ran put of the stable across the yard, and down Harriett Street. *