DREADFUL HOTEL FIRE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 610, 12 March 1929, Page 9

DREADFUL HOTEL FIRE

HONG-KONG TRAGEDY NINE EUROPEANS DEAD (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (United Service) HONG KONG, Monday. A tragic fire -at the King Edward Hotel, Hong-Kong, in the early hours of this morning resulted in heavy loss of life. It is believed that nine Europeans perished, including Mr. William Woods, representative of a well-known firm of patent medicine: makers. The others were British, French and American subjects. The actual number of those killed, including Chinese, is not known. The ruins are now being searched for the dead.

Eye-witnesses state that the fire broke out and spread with alarming rapidity. The inmates were trapped in the upper storeys of the hotel and could not reach the fire-escapes. Valuable work was performed by men from British warships. There were thrilling scenes as people leapt from the blazing fourth and fifth floors into outspread sheets. Several of them missed the sheets and crashed on the road.

These people included General Chang Ming-shu. They are seriously injured. It Is stated that Mr. Woods had been in bed for a week suffering from a chill. His remains have been recovered.

William Woods, who was burned to death in the Hoiw-Kong fire, was a former Napier chemist. He lived tnere in the early eighties, leaving later for Australia, where he was concerned with the development of Woods’ Great 1 eppermint Cure.—P.A.