RESCUED FROM FLAMES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19027, 26 May 1925, Page 8

RESCUED FROM FLAMES

FATHER'S DASH FOR CHILD, FORCED ENTRY BY WINDOW, j NARROW ESCAPE AT WAIHJ. J [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] Wlffll, Monday. A six-roomed dwelling in Symondj Street, owned and occupied by Mr. Munro, was totally destroyed by firq together with practically all the coni tents, shortly after midnight on Satun day. Tho inmates had to make a bastj exit clad only in their night apparel an<j one little girl had a very narrow escapo The. family of seven had attended J picture entertainment ajjd arrived bomf about 11 p.m. A fire was lighted in tin kitchen range and after all had had 4 cup of tea they retired to bed. Mr. and Mrs. Munro and their little boy Johij (31) were in one front bedroom, tin daughters, Jean (10), Betty (9) and Prudence (7) were in the room op'jftisfu and the eldest daughter, Ina (13), wai in a side bedroom. Mr. Munro had nol gone to sleep and about 12.30 heard a roaring from the back part of the house, Hastening out be found the kitchen OB . fire, with the flames already bursting through into the passage way. He hastened into tho bedroom occupied by In 3 and in his own words "bundled her ou| through the window." Mrs. Munro, had also been awakened, reported thai the other children had been got ou( safely, but when a tally came to {pa taken it was found that Betty was sti'4 missing. After searching for a means ' of entry, but without success owing to the rapid spread of the fire, Mr. Munro attacked the bedroom window, smashing the glass and tearing away the framework. Tha room was full of smoke, and groping hi 3 way about Mr. Munro found the littlq girl crouched in a corner. Gathering .• her up in his arms he got back to; the window and on to the verandah, but aa the front steps were ablaze he had to jump with his charge to the ground somij Bft. below. The child was in a semi-conscious corv, dition, having evidently come near tq suffocation. On contact with the open § air, however, she revived, but remained somewhat dazed. How narrow was bee escape from death may be gathered from the fact that her eyebrows and lashes were burned off and she was blistered about the face and arms. The cause of the outbreak is not - known, but it is assumed that by soma means the fire left in the kitchen stova caused it. The building was insured for £340 in the State Office and the furi niture and effects in the Yorkshire Officq for £2OO. Mr. Munro is a heavy loser.