SEVERELY BURNED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21906, 15 September 1934, Page 12

SEVERELY BURNED

MAN POURING BENZINE CANDLE IGNITES FUMES CRIES BRING ASSISTANCE PATIENTS CONDITION SERIOUS [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] MAT7NGATT7ROTO, Friday Severe burns were suffered by an employee of the Maungaturoto Hotel, Mr. Ixlward Mahoney, aged 56, single, when his clothes were set alight while he was pouring benzine at 6 o'clock last evening. The man, who formerly lived at Auckland, had been employed at the hotel only since Monday. Mr. Mahoney had gone to a building about 50 yards from the hotel to replenish the tank of a petrol engine used to generate electric power. As he was pouring the benzine it was ignited by a candle-lantern, which was standing a short distance away. Benzine was splashed over his clothing, which was quickly in flames. With his clothes blazing Mr. Mahoney rushed into the yard, shouting for assistance. His cries were heard hy the occupant of an upstairs room in the hotel, who stripped the bedclothes from a bed and threw them from a window to the yard below. Attracted by the shouts, others in the hotel hastened to the scene and they used the bedclothes to smother the flames. Mr. Mahoney's clothes were almost completely destroyed by the flames and he suffered severe bums practically all over the body. He was immediately taken by the proprietor, Mr. J. T. Caldwell, in a motor-car to the Paparoa Hospital, a distance of nine miles. Today he was transferred in a Si. John ambulance to Te Kopuru Hospital, a distance of 33 miles. The injured man was reported late to-night to be in a very serious condition.

The fire in the engineroom was suppressed before any serious damage was caused.