RIVERTON FIRE TRAGEDY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20874, 14 November 1929, Page 10

RIVERTON FIRE TRAGEDY.

EVIDENCE OF THE HUSBAND. CAUSE OF OUTBREAK UNKNOWN. (Special to Daily Times.) INVERCARGILL, November 13. The final stages of the inquiry into the tragic fire in the Carriers’ Arms Hotel at Riverton on October 28, when Mrs W Trembath and her daughter Moira lost their lives, were reached this morning when the adjourned inquest, was concluded before the coroner (Mr W. H. Woodward). The state of health of the principal witness, William Trembath husband of the unfortunate woman and licensee of the hotel, has not permitted him to give bis evidence until to-day. Trembath said that bis wife and three children, the cook, the waitress, and about seven male boarders were at the hotel on the night of the fire. A boarder named Mason and witness went to the kitchen and had supper and retired about 0.15 a.m. Witness went to bis own room, in which were his wife and daughter Moira. The room was in the front of the premises, and the door opened on to a passage which went straight to tin; fire escape. Soon after witness went to sleep he woke up hearing somebody calling out “ Fire.” He jumped out of bed and tried to switch on the electric light in the passage, but he found that the light was, not working. Mrs Trcmbatb called out to him to cet the other two .children. Witness found that the hoy, aged sis, had come out into the passage, and was near the fire escape. Witness left him to look after himself, and returned to find the .girl, aged eight, who was still in bed. Witness took her in his arras and carried her down the fire escape to the first landing. There were others about. Witness went up the fire escape into the passage, but was unable to get along, as the flames were then coining up the stairway. He descended the fire escape to the ground, and went round the building to the north side and attempted to get in through the window of bis room, but could not get in, ns the place was alt in flames. Witness returned to the ground. He heard nothing from Mrs Trembath from the time she called to him to get the other children. Before retiring to bed he saw that the fire jo the Kitchen range was out. The one in the sitting room was very low, mid ■witness put the fire screen around it, leaving the place apparently safe. Witness had not the slightest idea as to the cause of the fire. He had never had trouble with his electric light before. Constable Fraser, of Riverton, said he saw Trembath at the nursing homo opposite the hotel when it was quite impossible for a rescue to be effected. Trembath was nearly frantic over the loss of his wife and'child. His hair was singed, hjs ears and arms were skinned, and his hands burned. Continuing, witness described the finding of the remains. There was nothing to indicate where the fire started. The building was a very old one, and witness had been informed that the first white child born in Riverton bad been born in the wooden portion of the hotel nearly SO years ago. From inquiries made there was nothing to indicate that the occupants of the hotel were other than sober. The coroner’s verdict was as follows: —“The two deceased, Barbara and Moira Trembath. met their deaths by misadventure on October 28 by being burned to death in the fire which destroyed the Carriers’ Arms Hotel, the origin of the fire being unknown,”