FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11716, 26 July 1901, Page 3 (Supplement)

FIRES.

I'y.y .FATAL FIRE AT LYTTELTON. &';.;■ THREE CHILDREN BURNED TO X - , DEATH. CimiSTCHURCir, July 11. ON July 11 ' a four-roomed "cottage in -Jittlc Brenchly Road, Lyttelton, was "burned, and three children lost their lives. Tho cottage belonged to the Ilargrcaves' - estate, and was occupied by a lumper named '" Frederick Day- He was at work, and his •wife had gone out, leaving the children—a ' lov named Frederick Thomas, four years ■ old • a girl, Evelyn May." five years and eight months; and a girl, Dorothy Maud, two years and seven months— the house with a fire burning in the front room. About quarter past one p.m. Alfred Day, a brother of the occupant, while returning IllPli'from rabbit-shooting on the hills, saw smoke rising from the cottage. Running to a ■place near by he got assistance and went to the cottage and broke the front windo*--/, but ihe flames within prevented him from rescuing the children. The brigade could .do nothing, and the cottage was: burned to the ..:,1>.'.,:-:..^oUnd.':. The fire is supposed to have been burning sbout twenty minutes when discovered. The bodies of the children were found in the debris. The boy and the younger girl were on the site of the sittingroom. The former was on the floor with a pillow over head, and the latter on the remains of a couch/with her head under a pillow. The _SS«lder girl's body was in the kitchen. .All l^^ihe; bodies were lying face downwards, and Vi§ysSi" all "were, charred beyond recognition. The building was insured in the Royal Office for £100. The furniture, which . was til destroyed, was uninsured. . - . •' At. the inquest held on the three children ! the-evidence showed that the mother had frequently left the children./alone in the house, and neighbours ; had remonstrated '¥ok .with her. The jury returned the following verdict:—" Deceased met theio death by burning in a house, which was set on fire, ../.. but how, there is no evidence to show | . »nd added the following rider:"The jury is of opinion that leaving children under men circumstances as those disclosed in the • evidence is a most reprehensible practice."

j The Waimate Hotel and several shops ad- ! joining were burned down about six a.m. on i gKjuly' 15. ' ■': The'.- people _in the hotel' were i in bed, and had barely time to escape. The fire started in the hotel kitchen, but how is unknown. Nothing was saved, except the private papers. of the licensee. Most of the goods were got out of the shops adjoining. Twomey's insurance on the, hotel was £800, and he had £400 on the stock and furniture. The other insurances on the places burned were: Franklyn, stationer, £400; " Meyers and J Jones, butchers, £100 Water, barber, £70. Williams (shoemaker) was uninsured. Fortunately little wind prevailed, otherwise other places would have gone. The hotel building was about tie oldest in Waimate. A fire in Mr. Furness' premises, "For , street, caused as much damage being done "by water as by fire, and the total loss is said ■wiß be over £2000. The particulars are:— large stack of pulp on the third storey helped to prevent the spread of the fire" to the tinning plant and other, departments. A second fire arose' later ■ from the debris - on the top floor,.when it was, thought the fire had been extinguished, \ and gave the ; firemen some trouble before it was suppressed. The whole of the lower floors were saturated with water, and a great deal of damage was thereby done to the stock, especially the confectionery, cream of tartar, salt, etc., besides general merchandise. The damage to the building itself will amount to from £200 to £300, apart ' from the damage to stock. The top storey; where the j fire started,- is heated by steam-pipes, in connection with the manufacture of confectionery, but nothing is known of the origin of J the fire. The engine, on the ground floor 1 at the back, was stopped at five o'clock, andappeared to be safe at that time. The following are the insurances Building, £1000; #ew, Zealand!lnsurance Company. ; Stock: Alliance, £2150; Phoenix, £500; Winchester,- £250;, Sun,;. £500; Norwich ■ Union,'£soo: total, £4900. —______ i