FIRE AND LOSS OF LIFE.
Fires almost innumerable have occurred in Dunedin and its suburbs at various times. Sometimes the damage done by the consuming element has been comparatively trifling, while on other occasions property of immense value has fallen before the ravages of the flames; but the catastrophe of last night— or rather this morning — has had but two horrible parallels in the history of Dunedin fires, viz., the destruction of an hotel in Stafford street some thirteen or fourteen years ago, when a man named “Charlie” met his fate, and the burning of Mr Jago’s establishment some nine or ten years since, when a human being was literally roasted in the building. Rumors that a similar fate had befallen an unfortunate man during last night’s fire were only too amply verified to-day, and it is now established beyond the possibility of a doubt that the destruction of the boardinghouse was but a bagatelle compared with the dire catastrophe that attended it.
Particulars of the Fire. The first intimation that a fire had broken out was given at about a quarter to two o’clock this morning, when the alarm bell on the hill pealed forth in significantly loud tones its startling news. The King street bell was not far behind in echoing the refrain. and people listened anxiously for the distinguishing strokes to inform them in what ward the destroyer was at work. One! — two — three tolled out the bells, and then ensued a scamper for Bell Ward, each one endeavoring to be the first to ascertain who was the victim of the disaster. Guided by the fatal glare, the scene of the fire was soon reached, and those who had read in the daily journals of the accident that had occurred the previous day to the Waverley Boarding-house shook their heads suspiciously as they beheld that building on fire for the second time within twelve hours. Captain Sinclair and his company of firemen were not long in putting in an appearance; but by the time they arrived it was apparent that the solitary hose-reel they had brought with them was totally inefficient to save the doomed house, which in a very few minutes was nothing but a mass of flame. However, nothing daunted by the terrible heat, the gallant band of red-coats battled like Trojans against the devouring element, and, although they were fairly driven back twice by the intense heat and the smoke, they came to the charge again, and, owing to the foresight of Captain Sinclair, were furnished with wet blankets to shield them in some measure from the perils which threatened them. A house belonging to Mr Dodds, draper, and inhabited by himself and family, which was only separated from the boarding house by a narrow passage, was on fire several times, as was also a cottage owned by Mr Inglis, draper, and tenanted by a Mr McLennie; but both places, owing to the judicious management of Captain Sinclair, were only partially destroyed. It soon became evident to the large crowd assembled — numbering probably some 2,000 persons — that the fire would not extend beyond the immediate locality in which it broke it, and after a short but fierce struggle portions of the devoted building fell one by one into ruins. First the roof went — then the walls— and in a comparatively short time from the outbreak there was nothing left but the usual monument of such an occurrence — a mutilated and crumbling chimney. The wind, which at first was light from the westward, fortunately hauled round to the north-east and fell still lighter, and thus diverted the cloud of sparks from a very dangerous block of buildings in King street, and possibly helped to curtail the area of the fire.
Ghastly Discovery — A Man Burned. The worst, however, remains to be told. As soon as the fire was fairly extinguished, Captain Sinclair, according to custom, left four of his men in charge of the premises, and went back to the Brigade station. Returning a few minutes later he heard a report that some person had been left in the building when the other inmates had cleared out, and. accompanied by Firemen Wicks end Williden, he went over the ruins. As they went along the firemen raked over a lot of debris, and presently they became aware of a curious smell, which increased so much as they poked at the heap beneath their feet that Wicks was seized with vomiting. One of the men suggested that a dog had probably been burnt with the house, but Mr Sinclair said that could scarcely be the case, ns he bad seen the dog belonging to the house alive and running about since the fire. Animated with a horrible suspicion, the explorers quickly removed some more of the blackened heap, when the melancholy cause of the odor became apparent. Reclining on his left side, and scarcely distinguishable from the common ruin, was a human body, the arm and elbow of which were protruding. Speedily removing the surrounding ashes, the head and shoulders were brought to view, and ere many minutes all that remained of the hapless man was placed by the firemen on a sheet of corrugated iron, a funeral procession was formed, and the hideous and shapeless heap of calcined bones and scorched flesh that represented what an hour previously was a living being was conveyed to the hospital. All attempts at identification were of no avail until this morning, at about twelve o’clock, when a fellow passenger of the deceased to this country recognised the mutilated fragments as the remains of a man of twenty years of age named Daniel Barrett. Deceased was a native of Cork, was unmarried, and had been three years in the Colony. His only relations in this place are a sister residing in Port Chalmers and a brother at the Taieri. The unfortunate young fellow had only come to Mrs McCluskey’s on Saturday last, and had, we believe, previously lived in Hatton’s Caledonian Hotel in Walker street. He had been used to farming work, and had left the Caledonian Hotel in search of employment.
A Woman Jumps out of the Window. Another casualty occurred to a young woman named Ann Ryan, one of the boarders. While jumping out of the window on to the verandah, she slipped and came with violence to the ground, and was apparently so much injured that it was deemed advisable to send her to the Hospital. However, we are glad to say that she was not seriously hurt, the principal damage incurred being bruises on the back. One of the girls boarding in the house had her clothes stolen from the street, where she had removed them; but the police generally kept the crowd well back, and under the charge of Inspector Mallard, did much to prevent confusion, and were especially active in getting the occupants of the house — some twenty in number — to a place of safety. When the police left the scene of the fire, about 3.30, the boarders expressed themselves as thoroughly satisfied that there was no one remaining in the building at the time the fire broke out. In fact the Inspector would not be satisfied until he had seen them all excepting an old man and an old woman, whom he, with Sergeant-Major Sevan and Sergeant Dean subsequently traced distinctly to a place of safety. The Waverly Boarding-house was a two-storey building containing fifteen rooms, owned by Mr Henry Williams, of Caversham, and by him let to Mrs McCluskey. The fire appeared to have originated downstairs, in the sitting-room or the kitchen, and was first discovered by the landlady, who, with her three children, slept in the sittingroom. As soon as possible Mrs McCluskey effected the escape of herself and the children, and then with all possible speed alarmed the neighbors to their imminent danger. The origin of the fire is unknown, hut it is supposed to have occurred through the kitchen fire-place standing too close to a boarded wall which divided the kitchen from the sitting-room. Mrs McCluskey was the last one to go to bed last night, and says that when she retired, at midnight, all the fires were out and there was no light burning. Mr Dodds had not much time to spare in vacating, as his house is completely burned through on the side fronting the boarding-house, and his five children and wife were hurried out as soon as Mrs McCluskey gave the alarm. The McLennies, who lived in a cottage on the other side of the burned building, also got out with as much haste as possible, and not a minute too soon, for their house, which is owned by Mr Inglis, was actually on fire, and one of the walls and the roof were burned through.
Losses by the Fire. The pecuniary loss incurred by the fire is difficult to estimate. The boarding-house was valued by Mr Williamson at L609, and he was, we believe, insured in the New Zealand office for L400. Mrs McCluskey has lost well nigh her all, as she was not insured. Her furniture, most of which was burnt, was probably worth L200, and she had a rol1 of bank notes of the value of L50, which was destroyed. Mr Dodds's loss has been roughly estimated at L200, but he says that sum is nothing like the real amount he has lost. Among his furniture were a valuable piano and a drawing-room suite, which, with the other furniture, has been so hopelessly damaged by either fire or water, that it may be said to be almost in as bad a state as though it had been burned. He is partially insured in the New Zealand Office. We have not heard the extent of Mr Inglis’s loss.
Delay In Getting Gear. The delay in getting the Brigade’s gear to the scene of the fire was owing to the want of horses to draw it, that used having been brought from North Dunedin. Yesterday’s fires demonstrated pretty effectually we should say, the need for an alarm bell at the central station.
An inquest will probably be held on Friday touching the death of the unhappy victim, and the evidence may possibly throw some light on the origin of the fire. -Evening Star, 14/3/1877.
THE LATE FIRE.
Coroner's inquest.
An inquest was held at the Hospital at noon to-day, before Mr T. M. Hocken and a jury of twelve, on the body of Daniel Barrett, and into the cause of the recent fire at the Waverly House, by which he met his death.
The Coroner stated that from the facts in which the police were in possession of, there could be but little doubt that the fire was accidental.
The jury having viewed the body, which, although fearfully charred, was still recognisable, the following evidence was taken:
Bernard John Flaherty, laborer, stated that he lived in the Harp of Erin Boarding House and knew Daniel Barrett, from Home. He was twenty years old, a native of Cork, a laborer by occupation, unmarried, and a Roman Catholic by religious persuasion. He came to New Zealand about two years and a-half ago, and had a brother and sister residing here. Witness had no reasonable doubt but that the remains in the morgue were those of Barrett. Witness last saw him alive about 6.30 o'clock on Tuesday evening. He was then going to his lodgings at the Waverly Boarding-house. He had a little drink in him but was able to take care of himself.
By the Jury: Witness had often seen Barrett the worse of drink, but he was not drunk on Tuesday. He was quite helpless when drunk.
Mary Anne McCluskey: I am the wife of John McCluskey who keeps the Waverly Boarding-house in Moray place. Barrett came to lodge with me a few days before his death. He had his tea about half-past six o'clock on Tuesday evening, and went out afterwards. About half-past two o'clock on Wednesday morning I was awoke by a noise of cracking. I leapt out of bed, and seeing a fire had broken out at the foot of the stairs in the passage, called the lodgers sleeping upstairs. The flames were about ten feet high. The deceased slept upstairs in a room with two others. I then seized my children, but do not remember what occurred afterwards. The house was burned down in about twenty minutes. All the lodgers but the deceased got out. When I went to bed at twelve o'clock I left the back door open to enable the lodgers who were out to come in. I do not think Barrett was home then. There was no fireplace near where I saw the flames, and I have not the slightest idea how the fire originated. When I went to bed I put all the lights out. The furniture was not insured, and I lost everything I had, including L50 in money. — By the Jury: The fire, when I first saw it, appeared to have originated downstairs.
Henry Williamson stated that he owned the Waverly Boarding-house, which was occupied by Mrs McCluskey. The building was insured in the National for L400. To re-erect the premises would cost L900. Witness bought the premises about three years ago, and they had been insured ever since. The rent was L100 a year.
Thomas Chevalier Robertson: On Tuesday night I retired to bed about eight o'clock and slept till about one, on Wednesday morning. While lying awake, I heard a man come into my bedroom, strike a match, and light a candle. He spoke to me, saying, "Thank God, I've got a job at last." I do not know the man further than he slept in the same room with me. I replied I was glad to hear he had got a job. He went to bed, but got up and took a drink of water about half an hour after. He then said there was a fire at the foot of the stairs and opened the door. Seeing the flames I told the man to shut the door, and got out of the window, telling him to follow me. He was a young man, about twenty or twenty-two; and was quite sober.
John Mansfield, a lad of about fourteen years old, was the next witness. He stated that he went to bed about ten or eleven o'clock on Tuesday night. A stout man was then in bed, but a third bed in the room was empty. Witness was awoke by cries of fire. Looked down the stairs, and finding them on fire, awoke the stout man. The latter got out of the window, witness following him.
John English, miner, deposed that he had lodged in the Waverly Boarding-house for the last three weeks. Witness saw the deceased about nine o'clock on Tuesday night. He was going down Princes street, and was the worse of drink. Witness while in bed saw him going to his bedroom about one o'clock next morning. He struck a match at his bedroom door. He walked heavily, and witness had little doubt he was the worse of drink. On going into his bedroom Barrett awoke an old man sleeping in the room and commenced talking about a job. Witness called to him to "shut up," and he kept quiet after that. Witness on waking at 2 o'clock discovered the stairs on fire. He then got out of bed, put on his clothing, and jumped out of a window. By the jury: No one slept in the room with witness.
William Hoare, quarryman, went to bed about midnight on Tuesday, sleeping on the lower floor. Was awoke by cries of "Help!" On going out he noticed the fire was between the partition and ceiling. The fire burned for nearly a quarter of an hour before the alarm was given. The wood was dry, and there was a considerable quantity of paper lining, so that if a lighted match was let fall the house would probably take fire.
Thomas Wicks, general laborer, and a member of the D.V.F.B., stated that after the fire was over, and while searching over the debris he came across the calf of a man's leg. The body was raked out, and removed to the hospital.
Detective Neil stated that he saw Barrett in the yard of the Provincial Hotel about 9.30 o'clock on Tuesday night. He was then half-drunk, and, for one so young, drank very heavily. When he spoke to witness outside the theatre witness cautioned him to take care of himself. He was so drunk on Saturday night last that it had been found necessary to turn him out of the theatre.
The Coroner remarked that the jury were not justified in returning a verdict of incendiarism. There was not even sufficient to prove that the deceased set fire to the place either by dropping a lighted match or putting down his pipe, though probably such was the case. The evidence only justified them in saying that deceased was found burned, but whether the fire was accidental would have to be left open. The jury simply returned a verdict of "found burned. -Evening Star, 16/3/1877.
Southern Cemetery, Dunedin.
