TRAGIC FIRE

Southland Times, Issue 20496, 26 May 1928, Page 7

TRAGIC FIRE

Seven Deaths FARMER AND CHILDREN TRAPPED WHILE ASLEEP BODIES BURIED UNDER DEBRIS (Per United Press Association.) Hawera, May 25. A shocking fire tragedy occurred at midnight at a farming district not fai from Hawera, a settler and six children being burned to deati. The names of the deceased are:— Alfred Waller, aged 40 Ruby, aged 13. Ellen, aged 11. Alfred, aged 8. Ray, aged 10. Daphne, aged 6—all being Waller's children— and Charles Parnell, aged 13. The mother and two children spent the night at Hawera. The scene of the tragedy was a fourroomed cottage, three of which were used as bedrooms. Waller had a family of eight altogether, his wife and two youngest children living at Hawera. The parents of the boy Parnell also reside here. Peter Waller, a brother of the deceased, lived in a tent a couple of chains from the cottage. He was awakened about midnight with the sound of crackling timber and saw the cottage ablaze and the back portion already destroyed. The flames were so dense that he was unable to get inside. He tried the front door handle, but it was too hot to touch. He saw no sign of life. A high southerly wind was blowing. The cottage stood on the edge of a hill, becoming a veritable furnace as soon as it caught fire. Neighbours visited the family last evening, and saw the house at eleven o’clock. No light was visible or any sign of fire. Among the smouldering embers this morning the remains of three bodies were seen, the others being buried under the debris. Deceased, Waller, was in the habit of get ting up in the middle of the night and making himself a cup of tea, as he did not enjoy good health. ORIGIN OF FIRE UNKNOWN. A further investigation does not throw much new light on the tragedy, and there is nothing to indicate how the fire occurred. The father usually slept in the front room with the girl Daphne, two other girls occupying a back bedroom. In the other front room were two beds occupied by two boys, while the third room was shared by Parnell and the other boy. Woodhead, the neighbour, who visited the family last evening, said that when he left the cottage shortly after 7 o’clock a good fire was going in the range and the only light in the kitchen was a kerosense lamp on the table. Waller had a small farm and sometimes did odd jobs in the neighbourhood.

The remains of all the children have been found. Judging by the position of the bodies, one of the girls and Parnell had moved, the bodies being found just off the beds, but the next were lying as they slept. Mrs Woller, mother of five of the children who perished, has been coming to Hawera periodically for a considerable time for medical treatment. She suffered from nervous affection of the left arm induced by milking in a dairy ehed helping her husband. It was owing to this trouble that a boy had to be employed to help on the farm generally. Mrs Woller brought only the baby with her but this week she had also the next child which needed treatment. But for that fact the fire would have claimed another victim. Recently deceased Woller senior made a remarkable recovery from a serious illness and was just starting to make headway, milking a small herd for his brother.