HAMILTON HOTEL FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18059, 6 April 1922, Page 8

HAMILTON HOTEL FIRE.

MISSING MAID'S FATE. NO TRACE OF REMAINS. INQUEST ON MR O'MOORE. FIRE ESCAPES ADEQUATE. [BY TfJLEGBArH—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] HAMILTON. Wednesday. Thera is ?till no trace of the housemaid, Nellie Wood, who is supposed to have perished in the Hamilton Hotel fire. Today a large gang of men was engaged in turning ovor the debris piecemeal, but nothing wa» found that would throw any light on the fate of the missing maid. Her room was at a spot where the fire was most intense, and it is feared she must have fallen a victim to the flames, which consumed tue iody without leaving any trace. A Wellington traveller, Mr. R Tnstone. | it transpires, lost personal effects valued at some £125. Tho inquest into the death of Mr. Thomas Donald o'Moore was oucluded by Mr. H. A. Young, S.M.. today. Mr. Northcroft watched the proceedings on behalf of the owners and the licensed of the hotel. Sergeant G. B, Edwards appeared for tho police. Dr. A. G. Waddell gave evidence as to the condition of the body, and said the front Incisor in the lower jaw was missing. Fi'.*n the appearance of the face death was due to suffocation. Fireman S. W. Davis said that after the fire had been extinguished he found the body on the upper floor of a portion of the buloUng winch had not been destroyed. The bodv was abor.i 15ft, from tho verandah. Apparency deceased was trying to find the main corridor and struck the dead :nd of another passage. James Masterson, night porter, recalled, said there were fire escapes af the rear of the building which deceased could have used. He could also nave gone dowu the back stairs or cone out of the window and down an escape. After rousing the inmates witness called the staff and then went upsUirs By this time the stairs were in flames. Advice Not Accepted.

At the top of the stairs he saw a girl , and told her to Ret out on to the verandah. | He :,n along the passage and got oot on | the verandah where he found 10 or Li , people gathered. He asked them to fol- . low him to another escape, but they did • not. attempt to go with him. Witness was awaka all ni>;ht. . .. ~ „ , To Mr NorthcroH, witness said there were people in the same passage as Mr. ivMoore and they cot out sately Mr. O'Moore wau thoroughly acquainted with i the passages and fire escapes. Constable Rosborou K h said that on the morning of the tire he passed the hotel lout 3.30 a.m. There was then no sign of fim About ten or 15 muvutes later he saw flames ijsumg from the rear of the hotel. He went to give the alarm, but the brigade had received it Wevwuslv. When witness got to the hotel tie boarders were leaving by the fire escapes Witness tried to use the fire dam in Garden Place, but found it out of crier, and ascertained that it had been so for some weeks. Only One Automatic Alarm. Sergeant Edwards intimated that there was only one automatic alarm in Hamdton, and it was more often out of order than cot. , The constable added that there was a piece of paper in the alarm indicating „i,at it was-out of order. Witness considered there should be at least three automatic alarms in the main street. It a fire took place at the other end of the street it would be a long way to rim to the only alarm. Telephones were often hard to get access to at night. Sergeant Edwards added that the fire escapes at the hotel had been examined and passed 'by the police prior to each animal meeting of the Licensing Committee, and had always been regarded as adequate. Witness considered a stairway ladder would be better, as there would not b« so mucii congestion when many people bad to use the one escape. He couid not say whether notices indicating the position of the fire escapes ■were in the building, but he thought «uch notices should be in every hotel. To Mr. Northcroft he said he considered that the hotel escapes were, adequate. He believed that every window gave access to a balcony or fire escape, while there were also stairways at tho end of each passage. The congestion on the balcony could have been avoided if the inmates had obeyed the porter's advice. Witness agreed that the automatic street alarm was frequently out of order. An Architect's Evidence. J. Park, architect, of Auckland, said he bad extensive experience of large buildings, including hotels. He knew the Hamilton Hotel well. In addition to a number of escapes there was also a ladder hanging beside tho dining-room windows for use by anyone in the street or in the hoteL The "escape facilities compared favourably, if not more so, with any oth<w wooden building in New. Zealand. The back portion was particularly well served with escape facilities, as there were two broad stairways. Every window in the hotel gave afceesa to a fire escapa or balcony. Sloping zigzag ladder" were generally used in high buildings, but in two-storeyed buildia.g« vertical ladders were adequate. To the coroner witness said he considered a large bell on.each floor for the attendant to ring would be a good precaution. In most up-to-date hotels automatic alarms were provided. E. H. Northcroft, barrister, .said he knew notices were plated in the hotel indicating tho position of the fire escapes. The Coroner's Verdict. The coroner found as follows :—" The j deceased was accidentally burned to death at Hamilton on April 3, 1922. The evi- , dene© showed that the fire escapes in the hotel where the deceased met his death ! were adequate, that notices with respect to them were posted in conspicuous places, i that tho night porter was on duty and , mused all the lodgers and staff in plenty of time to permit of them getting out) of the building." The police should, he thought, bring before the licensees and Licensing Committed the question of having bells provided on each floor of hotels, and should make representations to the local authorities with respect to tho advisability of providing in the borough more facilities for giving an alarm of fire. New Building Proposed. It is the intention of Messrs. L. D. Nathan and Co., Ltd., to prepare plans for a conprehensive building on the site of the Ljemises destroyed by Monday .morning's fire. The hotel when constructed will be as modern and commodious as any in Australia or New Zealand, with a fnil frontage along Victoria Street and taking in the whole of the site to the fruiterer's premises adjoining the northern end of tho old premises. If warranted provision will be made for shops along the Victoria Street frontage, j In all probability a three-storeyed building with electric lifts will be erected. Trie former billiard room is now being used as a temporary bar. Resolutions of Sympathy. Prior te the ordinary business at the meeting of the Hamilton Domain Board last evening it was decided to place on record the board's deep admiration of the most heroic example set by the late Mr. H. Moore-Jones in saving' valuable lives at the recent terrible fire and to extend the deepest sympathy to his relatives and also to the relations of the other victims. At i meeting of the Marist Old Boys' football Club List evening a vote of sytnwithy ' !ras P BM *d with the relatives' of the Victim* of the fire and with Mr. R. J. SfcX«i«w and family.