CARROLL STREET FIRE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3772, 29 June 1926, Page 61

CARROLL STREET FIRE.

LEONARD PHILPS DEATH. DUE TO ASPHYXIA AXD SHOCK. The inquest concerning the death of Leonard Philp, who was burned in a fire in the Wentworth Buildings, Carroll street, in the early hours of June 16, was resumed on the 21st before Air J. R. Bartholomew, S.M 0 who sat as coroner. Sergeant Dunlop represented the police, Air G. T. Baylee (instructed by Messrs Aspinall and Sim) appeared on behalf of the relatives of deceased, Mr J. P. Ward for Mr S. Badman, lessee of the rooms in which the fire took place, and Mr C. B. Barrowclough for. the owners of the building. The Coroner said the evidence showed that the fire originated near the scullery, but what caused it could only be a matter of speculation. It had a big hold when the brigade arrived, and as to what happened too much reliance could not be placed on the accounts of the witnesses, who were suffering more or less from excitement. He was satisfied, however, that when the brigade arrived on the scene no more could have possibly been done. The fir© had such a strong hold that even if the members of the brigade had known the exact room in which the deceased was they could not have reached it. “I am not satisfied that the alarm was given as promptly as it might have been,” said the coroner.

“The alarm was given by Mr Ross, who was wakened by the crackling of the fire and by noises downstairs. The first thing he saw was the witness Fleming depositing some of his goods in front of his (Mr Ross’s) premises It was a rather unsatisfactory feature that Fleming should sav® his goods and yet give no alarm of the fire. Fleming seems to have been seriously at fault in that respect. So far as Badman is concerned, he seems to have been somewhat dazed and was busying himself carrying water with a view to putting the fire out. Fleming had no such excuse. If Rosa had not given the alarm the fire might have got a greater hold than it actually had” The Magistrate went on to say that the building exits were in Borne respects very faulty. It was, indeed, a difficult matter to get down the stairway from deceased’s room to the ground floor. It so happened that the fire completely out off exit by that means, and owing to the stage the fire had reached when tbe brigade arrived, it was impossible to reach it. Possibly the deceased slept with his window closed, and when the door was opened he was overcome. His formed verdict. would be that death was due to asphyxia and shock.