TRAPPED IN BLAZING INFERNO.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13312, 20 July 1936, Page 4

TRAPPED IN BLAZING INFERNO.

MAN BECOMES HUMAN TORCH. CASE OF FILMS EXPIAiDE. Electric Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, Last N.ght. Trapped in a Thoindoii bu.lding fil.ed with the intensely hot flames, of burning ceLuloid following tin gxp 1-os ion or a cinematograph film, Gurdicr Hericot., a German, burns on Saturday afternoon, which' caused his death in hospital at 6 a.m. this morning. The expansion happened in the garage :uid store ot J. J. Curtis and Co. Ltd., in Harriett street where Hericot and an assistant, Frank Jocelyn* were packing old cinematograph film, tor export, it is understood, to Germany where chemicals are extracted. The film was being packed in zinclined cases about 5 feet by 2 feet 6 inches and the work was being done in a stable with a large opening in which stood a motor-lorry* The explosion occurred when Jocelyn was soldering up a seam in the zinc-lin-ing of the case. He was blown out of the door without being injured seriously. The building became filled with the flames of the blazing film. Herloot was less fortunate. He was on the roof of a concrete dangerous goods store further inside the building getting down more cases in. which to pack the film and he had to climb down and make his way past the lorry to get out of the building. With his clothes on fire from head to foot, he ran out of the stable across the yard and down Harriett street. Three young men who had heard the explosion from where they were in Pitarua street, off Harriett street, came round to see wliat had happened. They saw Herfoot running down the street and one of them chased him, tripped him up and wrapped round him a military overcoat lie had been wearing, thus extinguishing the flames.

Flames from the burning building leaped to a tremendous height Some eye-witnesses said they shot up a hundred feet The dividing fence was burned and a wooden house next doer occupied by Mrs A. B. Mow—lem caugnt fire. The fire brigade was called and extinguished the fires. The firemen treated Herfoot’s burns until the ambulance* arrived. The lorry standing at the doorway was badly damaged