A LEAP FOR LIFE

Otago Witness, Issue 3860, 6 March 1928, Page 8

A LEAP FOR LIFE

TIMELY DISCOVERY OF FIRE. AUCKLAND, February 29. There was a scene of intense excitement in Eden crescent at an early hour this morning when “ Edenville,” a twostoreyed wooden building of 20 rooms was gutted from end to end by fire. The flames travelled through the building with such incredible swiftness that eight boarders in the upper portion of the premises were trapped, and to save their lives had to leap to the ground below. Two were injured. John Trbuhovitch, aged 44, a gum dealer by occupation, received a broken tibia, and W. P. M'l’herson, an employee of Messrs Grey and Menzies, Ltd., suffered severe burns to the arms and neck. The former was removed to the public hospital. One of the eight to make the sensational escape from the balcony was a young woman who essayed the feat with safety.

Mrs Stone, the proprietress of the establishment, four members of her family, and two boarders who occupied the downstairs portion of the building, escaped as Soon as the alarm was given. But for Ellingham, a railway porter, who was sleeping in a room at the rear of the upstairs part of the premises, giving the alarm shortly before 2 o’clock the fire would probably have ended in a tragedy. Awakened by acrid smoke which percolated into his room from downstairs, where the blaze originated, he was startled to see vivid reflections dancing on the window of his room. He at once roused the other boarders, most of whom made good their escape in their night attire. Others had barely time to gather up a few effects, throw them over the balcony, and make the dangerous leap. Practically nothing of value was saved by any of the occupants. By this time the old wooden building was ablaze from end to end, the flames leaping high into the air in spectacular fashion, and dense volumes of smoke pouring from every window and the roof. When the City Fire Brigade arrived at about 2.16 a.m. the place was a raging inferno, and it was quickly seen that it was impossible to effect a save. Graphic descriptions of the danger through which they had come were given this morning by several of the occupants of the boarding house. “ Fortunately there was not sufficient wind to blow a match out,” said one man, “ otherwise, I doubt if any of us would have escaped with our lives. When the alarm was given by Air Ellingham I switched on the light, and the place was full of smoke. I opened the door into the passage, and flames poured into the room. I barely had time to grab a few clothes and jump from the balcony. According to accounts, Mr M'Phcrson came the nearest to being overcome by fire aud smoke. Having been laid aside for three or four weeks he was in no condition to make a hurried exit, and it was thought that he was suffocated until he appeared on the nalcony behind all the rest, and made his.leap just in time. The marooned boarders, who are heavy losers all round, were given shelter uirt?l this morning by neighbours. Tire boarding-house was insured with the South British Company for £l9OO. Mrs Stone, who had occupied the premises previously, had renewed her lease only about three months-ago. It is considered she will be a heavy loser, although the contents were insured with the Home Insurance Office for £5OO.