SEVEN LIVES LOST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11986, 7 June 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

SEVEN LIVES LOST .

TERRIBLE MIDNIGHT FIRE IN . r HACKNEY. • "-^ Ost? of the most terrible fires which NorthEast London has ever known has just occurred at -midnight at 423,' Hackney Road. Seven lives were lost. The scene of the fire ' was a built-out shop, occupied by Mr. Rogers, a sign and ticket writer, and. behind this a house of eight rooms, in which resided a family named Denman, with their six children, and a young lady lodger. "At midnight, when the alarm was first given, Hackney Road was in a very busy state. The doomed house was transformed in a very few minutes into a blazing furnace, and although the firemen were on the scene within a very few minutes .seven people had lost their "lives before they arrived. The story of the fire waS told at the inquest. The deceased persons were:—Mrs. \ M. Denman, 26, the wife of a cheesemonger's assistant; her four children, Alice, aired"B; Charles, aged 5; Ethel, aged 34 j and Winifred, aged 3 months; Alice Isabella Biggs, 26, a collar machinist, who was a lodger in the house ; and Arthur William Regelous, 24, a carman, employed next door. The last-named lost his life in a gallant effort to save others. ', ':" Ernest A. J. Rogers, of Mare-street, Hackney, a ticket-writer, who occupied the shop, 423, Hackney Road, stated that in the shop were two paraffin lamps hanging from the ceiling. , About midnight he got on a box in order to reach one of the lamps, and as he tilted the reservoir a flame shot- up from the burner. He got off the box, and as he did so the lamp fell with a crash to the floor A column of flame at once arose, and the oil spreading over the floor, carried the flames with it. He gave the alarm, and making his' way upstairs he,rescued two children. ' ". ■ ■ , • , By the Jury: It was not possible to put the "lights out without blowing down the chimneys. . . .. - . ,:. t A Juror Just the way to cause an accident, I should think. Witness (continuing) gave a graphic description of his attempts, to save the inmates. Flames were everywhere, he said, and, running up the passage, he found Mrs. Denman in the shop parlour with her baby. She cried, "Oh, save, save my children!" Witness rushed upstairs and found the frontroom in darkness. The smoke was almost suffocating, and he could riot see an" inch in front of him. Groping about for a few minutes he felt a boy's curly head. He seized the boy, got out on the leads, and handed the child to a gentleman who came across the roof when the alarm was raised. He dashed back again into the burning house, having to fight his way through the smoke and flame.' He Was" almost choking. Directly afterwards he found another of the children, and, with it in his arms, he was I making for the window when he heard Mrs. i Denman say something- to him. He could not see her, but heard simply one .agonised word, "Window." He handed the second child to the gentleman on the leads, and himself escaped by the same way. Mr. Nunan, an inspector under the Petroleum Act, explained that the oil used in the shop lamps was known as " Russian Tzaroline," and cost 7d per gallon. A sample had been tested, and. it was found to flash at 38 degrees. It might be taken as a sample of the oil usually sold in the East End. The London County' Council wanted to raise the flash-point to'loo degrees. Such oil would never vaporise and become dangerous. Last year there were 26 fatal accidents from ' paraffin oil in the county of London alone. Harry Lewis, a. carman, stated that deceased man Regelous was one of a number of , men'who mounted the leads over the shop. 1 Regelous was the only one to enter the burning building from this point, and when he .■ appeared a little later at the first-floor win- , dow he had a handkerchief to his mouth, [ and was calling for help. It was impossible, ' however, to get at him, as the place was 1 then one mass of flames. "'■-'• '- After further witnesses had been called 1 the coroner stated that the whole cause of . the fire centred upon one pointthe use of I low flash oil, and yet the Government gave rio reason for not preventing its use. ' The jury returned a verdict to the effect 1 that the cause of the deaths was accidental, I at the same time suggesting to Mr. Rogers '• to be careful in taking lighted lamps from 3 their pendants in future. They added that - it would be to the public benefit if the London i County Council would promote a Bill pre- ' venting the sale of low flash oil. They com- - mended the police and fire brigade, and de■r sired to express their admiration of • the 8 heroism displayed "by Regelous.