FATAL FIRE AT NELSON.

Otago Witness, Issue 3596, 13 February 1923, Page 8

FATAL FIRE AT NELSON.

NELSON, February 6. A farmhouse belonging to Thomas Organ, of the Takaka listrict, was burned down last evening. His daughter, aged six, and John Gillyard, aged 60, were burned to death. No details are available. February 7. In connection with the Ligar Bay (Takaka, Nelson) fire tragedy, definite details show that the fire occurred in daylight, and not during the night. Thomas Organ (farmer) lit a fire in the kitchen stove, and went out to milk shortly after six in the morning. A howling gale was blowing at the time, and the cowshed was 70 yards away. A quarter of an hour after Organ noticed that the house was in flames. He rushed there, but was too late to save the victims— John Gillyard (aged 70 years) and Organ’s six-year-old daughter. These slept in a room downstairs, adjoining the kitchen. Mrs Organ and two younger children were also downstairs, but farther away. Mrs Organ got out with two infants, and made for the side window of the room where Gillyard and the oldest girl slept. Gillyard came to the window, exclaimed, “Oh, inv God !” and went back into the room. This was the last seen of him alive. t he bodies of Gillyard and the girl were found together, charred to cinders. The old man was evidently dazed. He had endeavoured to rescue the girl, but both had succumbed to the flames. The building was over 40 years old, and verv dry, and the gale had blown the live embers into the room, the whole place beiim ablaze in a few minutes. Gillyard came originally from the West Coast. Organ is a returned soldier.