NARROW ESCAPE IN FIRE

Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1934, Page 7

NARROW ESCAPE IN FIRE

HOUSE ENVELOPED BY BLAZE

ELDERLY COUPLE NEARLY BURNED RESCUE OF PARALYSED WOMAN. LUCKY ARRIVAL OF TAXI-DRIVER. By Telegraph—Press Association. Invercargill, Last Night. A narrow escape from death by burning befel Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Paget, an elderly couple, in the v early hours of this morning when the house in Racecourse Road in which they resided became enveloped in flames. Mrs. Paget was awakened by an unusual noise, which she quickly realised was the crackling of flames, and she aroused her husband, who, probably owing to the fact that he suffers from deafness, was still askep. The only avenue of escape was through a bedroom window, and Mr. Paget was faced with a grave difficulty, for his wife is partially paralysed, and he knew he would have to lift her through the window and lower her to the ground. The bottom half of the window jammed and he was endeavouring to get her through the top part when help unexpectedly arrived. A taxi-driver, Mr. G. Murrell, was returning to Invercargill from Gore when his attention was attracted by the house burning fiercely, and when he reached the scene he observed Mr. Paget endeavouring to lift his wife through the bedroom window.

By this time the house was well alight and there was not a second to spare if the rescue was to be accomplished. The two men soon had Mrs. Paget safely out of the burning room none the worse for her nerve-wracking experience. The house is situated outside the city area, so that the services of the brigade would not have been available.