THE FATAL FIRE AT MASTERTON.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 5295, 28 February 1884, Page 3

THE FATAL FIRE AT MASTERTON.

♦ INQUEST.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) . Mastkrton, Feb 28. Evidence was given at the Magisterial enquiry yesterday by the father of the boy burned at the late fire. — John Harding de- ' posed : I reside above the railway station ; about - half-past five this morning we were all in bed except the little boy now present. He had been making a fire, and came to the bedroom asking about some butter. His mother told him where the butter was, and he went away. Shortly afterwards we heard a sound of crackling, and my wife and I jumped up, and I noticed that there was a fire above the lining boards of the ceiling. I rushed to the pump with a bucket, but on getting outside, I saw the roof burning, the roof of the leanto and main building were on fire, and in one place a hole' had been made through the shingles. Seeing I could do no good there, I ran to the front of the house to see if the children were safe. I met my * wife and children, including two of Campbell's, coining out, and I sung out ' ' Are you all out," and my wife replied " Yes, I think we are," but directly afterwards she looked round and said she missed one, adding afterwards that she could not see Sydney. I rushed into the house and tried to get upstairs but could not reach the top, when half way up I was driven back by the flames. I turned to crawl beneath, but the flames seemed to fall on me, singing ray hair and stupifying me. I rolled back on the - mat, and although the open door was beside me, the smoke was so dense that I could not see it. This all happened in about a tenth of the time occupied in giving this evidence. I got a ladder and broke in the upstairs window. The flames rushed out, and I could see there was no chance ol rescuing the boy. I tried the window at the opposite end of the house, but the smoke was rolling out, and I could see nothing of the lad. Sydney was about eight years of age, I saw the remains that were found in the fire, and believe them to be those of my son. — To a juryman — I believe I heard hia voice when I was on the stairs, but I can't be certain. The fire - might have originated through a spark from the chimney catching the shingles. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the boy was suffocated, and the fire accidental. . Two residents, "William Sellar and Walter Rapp, have started a subscription list for the family, and in a few hours raised £100.