THE FATAL FIRE AT THE TAITA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LI, Issue 5603, 8 February 1879, Page 5

THE FATAL FIRE AT THE TAITA.

A Child Burnt to Death. The Wellington Post supplies the following particulars of the fire which occurred at the shop of James M’Kenzie, a shoemaker, on Saturday last:— Between 10 and 11 o’clock, Mr M’Kenzie was melting some wax in the shop, all the children (seven in number) being in bed, when the kerosene lamp, by the light of whioh he was working, suddenly exploded. The burning oil spread rapidly, and though Mr M’Kenzie took off his coat and tried to beat out the flames, he soon saw that his efforts were utterly useless. He then run upstairs and called the children. Two of the boys jumped from the bedroom window, and the third from a sky-light, all alighting without injury. Mr M’Kenzie seized the baby, aged about 12 months, and the second child, and rushed downstairs, followed by the third little girl. All escaped without injury, when Mr M'Kenzie suddenly recollected that his daughter Alice, aged four years, was still in the burning house. She was sleeping by herself in a small room, and in the confusion of the moment had been forgotten. Mr M’Kenzie again rushed into the house, hut was obliged by the flames and smoke to return, and Mr Tom Avery also made a bravo attempt to rescue the child. Seeing that it was impossible to get upstairs, Mr M'Kenzie borrowed a ladder from Mr deland, storekeeper, and tried to effect an entrance through an upper window, but his neighbours, seeing that ne would meet with certain death if he entered the room (for the whole house was by this time a mass or flame), persuaded him to desist from the attempt, and the poor child was left to her fate. The flame spread so rapidly that none of the furniture except* chair and a mattrass could be saved, and from the first it was a hopeless task to endeavour to save the premises, though there was a plentiful supply of water and the willing neighbours mustered in strong force. In less than half-an-hour the house was burned to the ground. There was a strong breeze blowing diagonally across the road, and this took showers of sparks in the direction of Mr Oleland’s etoro, which was three times set on fire, but men on ths roof, with buckets of water, prevented serious injury being done.