NAILED DOWN

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21040, 16 February 1940, Page 4

NAILED DOWN

HOTEL WINDOW FATAL FIRE RECALLED INFORMATION TO BOARD ADEQUATE PROVISION URGED (United Piea.« Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) WELLINGTON, Friday The window of Clie bedroom occupied by Miss Kathleen Matthews, who lost her life tn the Hotel Lloyds on Saturday morning, was nailed down, stated Mr M7T. Luckie at a Wellington Fire Board meeting to-day. A committee is to confer with the City Council by-laws committee and its officers, in an endeavour to make adequate provision for fire escapes in private hotels and boarding houses, and to have them regularly inspected as Is done with licensed hotels.

Mr Luckie said the Hotel Lloyds building was erected in accordance with the by-laws in operation when it was built in 1908, and no unauthorised alterations had been made since. A periodic inspection would have prevented such a thing as a window being nailed down.

A Jire fatality occurred early on Saturday morning when Miss Kathleen Olive Matthews, aged 17, employed as a waitress, failed to escape from Hotel Lloyds, Lower Cuba Street, Wellington. Miss Matthews, who slept alone in a room on the sixth floor, was evidently dazed by the fire, and dashed out of her room and made for the narrow winding stairs. She was turned back before reaching them and ran past her own room to the room beyond, where hpr body was found after the fire. A tragic aspect was that the window of her room faced directly upon the fire escape.