A RECENT FATALITY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8846, 26 August 1907, Page 6

A RECENT FATALITY.

The Port Chalmers Fire

(By Telegraph — Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, Thursday

The adjourned inquest concerning the deaths of Ruby Haherlield and Jacob Taioki, her infant son, the victims of a. fatal fire at Port Chalmers, on Tth July, was resumed today, having been previously adjourned si) that the evidence of William Haburfield, the sole survivor of the tragedy "> ; "ht be ;)V'''-'-'" '

""Habefmild'Steii that at n a.m. on Tth July he and his wife 1 discovered the house was on fire. She told him, he being the strongest, to jump out. aud she would throw the children down to him. She caught her little boy in her arms aud said : "For God's sake, jump out quick." It was an oht window, aud the sash would not remain up unless propped, so he jumped right through the sash. The Coroner: Didn't you think that yon might break your neck, or otherwise render yourself incapable of helping your wife aud children?

Witness: I was dazed from being suddenly awakened from a quiet sleep into the heat, smoke, aud darkness. My wife stood by the window holding the little boy, and the little girl clung to her.

Witness said ho landed on his hands and feet. There was ho one about. Ho shouted for help, and looked up, but could see no one at the window. He called to his wife, to throw out tho children aud to follow herself, but there was no reply. He then clambered back up the "side of the house. He was half crazy, but remembered putting his foot throngli the glass of tho lower window in his ascent. He readied the window from which he had jumped, aud everything seemed rodliot. The little girl was lying on her face, close to the window. He caught hemp and dropped ''cr out, shouting for some out: to catch her. He thought some one might have arrived by then. There was a door leading to another room, and, seeing no trace of his wife or child, he thought .she had gone to the window in that room. The place was a mass of flame, but lie forced his way in. He could find nothing, aud, blinded aud scorched, returned to the bedroom, where the flames gradually beat him back to the window, through which lie fell. He did not remember anything else.

Other evidence showed that by the time the police and lire brigade arrived on the scene there was absolutely no chance of rescuing the inmates, who were at first believed to have escaped. The girl who was rescued by Haberfield subsecpieutly died from her injuries.

The jury found that the victims were accidentally burned to death, but there was no evidence to show how the fire had been caused.