TWO PERISH.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20298, 7 May 1934, Page 7

TWO PERISH.

WOMEN TRAPPED IN FIRE. Neighbour Too Late to Help TRAGEDY IN DANNEVIRKE DISTRICT. Per Pres** Association. DANNEVIRKE. May 7 A double tragedy occurred about 8.3 C at Bloomfield, near Titre Point last night, when a well-known settler, Mrs Ellen Franklin, aged seventy-six years, and her companion. Miss Smaile (about forty years! perished in a fire which destroyed the house occupied by them. The fire was discovered by a neighbour named Churchhouse. who lives opposite. He hurried to the house, which is situated on a hill about 300 yards from the road, and gained entry to Mrs Franklin’s bedroom, but failed to discover her. He was unable to gain access to any other pari of the building owing to the raging flames and intense smoke, and nothing further could be done to help This morning the bodies of Mrs Franklin and Miss Smaile w’ere found lying in a passage way, one at either end. Mrs Franklin, a widow, had resided in the house in which she met her death for the past fortv six vears and had lived her life in the Wairarapa. Herbert ville and Wimbledon before taking up residence at Bioomfield. Miss Smaile had not long been in her present position, having come here from Auckland. She is believed to have a sister residing in Wanganui. Mrs Franklin leaves a family of five sons, all well-known settlers, and a married daughter, Mrs Young, who resides at Woodville.