Mother, Crippled Son, Rescued From Blaze

Northern Advocate, 9 February 1940, Page 5

Mother, Crippled Son, Rescued From Blaze

[Per Press Association. Copyright ] CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. A mother and her crippled 18-year-old son. both overcome by smoke, were rescued from a burning building in lower High Street at 4 o’clock this morning. They were Mrs H. Dick and James Dick, who were among the occupants of living quarters attached to the Cafe Cecil. fire broke out in the store room at the back of the premises at 3.50 a.m.. and spread quickly to rooms occupied by two members of the cafe staff. Mr George Gibbons, who also sleeps at the rear of the building, gave the alarm and aroused six other occupants. Their Second Fire Firemen who were returning from the fire in Scott’s joinery in Montreal Street, saw the blaze, made a detour, and carried on with their second fire of the night. They made a quick save and confined the blaze to three rooms at the rear. James Dick, whose room was in the front portion of the building, was carried out by firemen. His mother, who had returned to her room to get her money, also had to be assisted out of the building. Both were suffering badly from the effects of the thick srnoke.