THE WELLINGTON HOTEL FIRE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXII, Issue 290, 15 December 1898, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON HOTEL FIRE.

J THE INQUEST.

EVIDENCE OF THE LICENSEE. [United Press Association]. • ut «. December W HAt the inquest on the victims of the mam staircase waa clear of emokefnr i£ or 20 minutes after he give the S alarm. He shonll say hfiE?j£s£ Samuel Gilmer, licensen oF «... i.ju«i stated that both the «CSd° h£ *,£££ thought the exits frem all portCrftff flat w 6 S| lenti^ enon * h ' «**»• flat had always been the most DODUiM sleeping portion of tho ho„ 8e ff?^^ had been two blankets hung and w wel m the archway in the paseaf e betZ fte Koyal.Oak Hotei h&r ££ sta£-' five minutes' consideration, so safe did h^ consider the buUding. On Friday night just before 12 o'olook, he foltowedhfe to see that everything was as it shonld be? SS ™ s"^!*! "• i uiokl y « tbi I spot. If the bedrooms had been left to the servants there would not have been a single lite lost. Tho staff couli have rest cued every one. He could not say that bis staff were interfered with. WilneS wo. not interfered with by either ft*. Police or the Fire Brigade. He waa afcM of the opinion that the newportio*«« the building should have beensavedl Wa thought that tho persons in tbe hfeuse had at least half an hour in wWchto escape, from the time of the first breaKn.r out of the fire. The origin of the fireT^l apuzide. He had no theor* £«<*>. Neither the eity auth^tilsT&e %£ nor the Licensing Committee b,C gested any appliances for the safety ff' boarders other than what be had N„" one had ever suggested that ropes shonldl be placed in eaoh bedroom. No fi« S of his employes had ever 'been he?d. for he had never g.ven snch a calamity a thought especially since the installation of the electric liffbt. There we » amSe time and opportunity for both of the deceased to escape. One of the waiters, who was in m.. back yaad after the fire broke ™ £,£? ed that he saw Faulbaum at the „^5 on the top flat. Witness told 'him ZtZ where he was and he would tfo mieTt ladder, but before witness c^uld Ji on % Faulbaum had jumped out ofifche window Witness was quite satisfied that Jwwrfd have obtained a ladder, and saved J?W baum jumping, ,f the latter had waited " One of the barmen gave erid«™«^,: „ -88 or £7 in cash was stoten Yn£r h *£ whUe the fire was in process ' he tdl maid gave the alarm until i*-if the b ¥" M tbe newbuaZ^aTdlu^XSe he waa quite certain ovwoieSmM £?* escaped from the new bW<W m hare ' captain Kemsley, of' th«BW u • i3 isaid the Brigade waaMif™ Bn ß*de ! about twent^dnuterffi TT* m . Ithe alarm being given. 8 C«w«a^ol pressure of water, and ninn £L 5! gw>!t IpUyingontheiire. jfeXS ."""JJ*™**"** search the&patorT as he h^d been told that eTO*£.?lSi* been warned and all liad«s3 B^ notapprove of . the . ItoSSftiSH butthe Council had no responaibißS'i *^,^^% AU hotelaattuld^To^f^ 1 We ladders for eachrooti: HeThL^ A deavoured to prevent tt^Aspread irf* th** fire to *he new portionTrtK^^ -'"? The smoke was so dense that a°«a3 - ■ ; the help of smoke iacketa~f W« ?J^ eould not hare tad J^feg?'i - ■ '- «o«r. He had, plentyT^.s«£^7 7 deal with the fire. lie hadS3&7 7 to make against the City Cb*3w& • 7 A gard to this particular fire. ;.; Th^a^:A7* apread so rapidly thas; w^tJfiSsggg^^

fttaaanlflcenl lot of apparatus It would hare been of no awn. Ho thought the five must hare been smouldering for some time, possibly weeks, for it to bave •pread ao rapidly. Nothing that he knew of now could bars been done at the time to. bare aared the new wing. Similar evidence was given by branchmen of the Brigade, and at 10 p.m- the inquest waa adjourned sill 11 a-m. next day. Thia Day. The inquest was resumed this morning, •but ao for no new points have been elicited. There are still a large number of witnesses to be examined, and it is doubtful whether the inquest will be concluded to-day.