THE WYNDHAM-STREET FIRE.
THREE LIVES LOST.
EXCITING INCIDENTS.
SHAKESPEARE BOARDINGHOUSE PARTIALLY DESTROYED.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
The most disastrous fire that has taken place in the city of Auckland as far as loss of life is concerned since the destruction of the Grand Hotel occurred shortly before three o’clock yesterday morning, in Wyndham-street, when three lives were lost, and the building known as the Shakespeare boardinghouse, kept by an Austrian named Nicholas Lukich, was gutted. The first news of the fire was published in a second edition of the Herald, at which time it was known that two persons had succumbed, but subsequently it was found that a third had perished in the flames, all the three who lost their lives being men.
DISCOVERY OF THE OUTBREAK.
The outbreak was first discovered by Mr. J. Ward, the night watchman at the Herald Office, and by Mr. J. F. Lowry, who, with three fellow linotype operators from the Herald, had just left the works. When abreast of the boardinghouse, which is about 100yds further up the street than the Herald Buildings, a red glare was noticed through the fanlight over the door of the ground floor entrance, and smoke was seen to be issuing from the top of the building. Mr. McVeagh, who was one of the party, rushed to the fire alarm at the top of the street, smashed the glass, and pressed the button, but unfortunately the service on this route has not yet been connected with the central fire station in Pitt-street. Meanwhile Mr. Ward ran down towards Queen-street to give the alarm to the police, shouting "Fire, fire" as he ran, and through him the news reached the fire brigade station, the Queen-street alarms being connected. The others also commenced shouting with a view to warning the occupants of the building of the danger that threatened, and Messrs. Lowry and J. Graham immediately made across to the fire-escape attached to the building, which the former mounted, with the assistance of his fellow worker.
RESCUING THE INMATES.
While running up the fire escape Mr. Lowry heard voices and the click of a window catch above—showing that their efforts to awaken the slumbering inmates had not been in vain—and on reaching the first floor window he found there two women, one of whom had a child in her arms, and was at the same time endeavouring to support the other, who had fainted. Grasping the child Mr. Lowry rapidly descended, and handed it to Mr. Graham, who had it conveyed to the publishing office of the Herald. By this time members of the police force, directed by the shouting, had arrived, on the scene, and the two women, who proved to be the wife and sister of the boardinghouse-keeper, were quickly brought down and sent on to the Herald publishing office, where they and the child received every attention till Mr. Nicholas Green, who lives nearly opposite the Shakespeare boardinghouse, kindly made provision for them. They had no sooner been disposed of than the police discovered the presence at the window directly above (second floor) of two more women, and Constables Mclvor and Simms were quickly up the escape to their rescue. So paralysed with fear were the women that they did not know what they were doing, and the police officers had some difficulty in persuading them to make use of the ladder. It was by this means that Nicholas Lukich also made good his escape.
ARE THERE ANY MORE?
Having placed those that could be seen out of danger, the police officers and Captain Field, representative of the Underwriters’ Association, made hasty inquiries as to whether there were any other persons left in the burning building, the rear of which was now enveloped in flames, while clouds, of smoke made their way through all available outlets. For some few minutes they were unsuccessful in obtaining information, but Constable A. Skinner at this stage discovered the boardinghouse-keeper, and from him learned that an old man named Marko Markovich had not been accounted for, but that beyond his countryman in question there were no others in the house. Returning to the building he ran quickly up the escape, and examined the adjacent rooms, but met with no success. Had it then been made known to him that two other men had been sleeping in the room on the western side, it is just possible that their lives might have been saved, as it was subsequently discovered that they had died through suffocation.
A GRUESOME DISCOVERY.
A few minutes later the room in question was examined, and the bodies found. One of them had evidently made an attempt to escape, as the body was found stretched out on the floor close to the window, which was divided by the partitions of the rooms. The opening on the side where the body was discovered was so narrow that it would have been somewhat difficult to squeeze through; and the presumption is that the man was so overcome by the smoke that when he reached it he had not sufficient strength left to get out, and fell back on the floor. The other body was found on the floor just by the bed, and was still rolled up in the blankets. This victim was evidently too much overcome before discovering his position to attempt to escape.
THE FIRE BRIGADE.
The members of the City Fire Brigade, under Superintendent Woolley, made with all possible despatch to the scene of the fire on receipt of the alarm, but as this was given from a Queen-street box, and there were then no signs of fire to be seen from the station tower, they were delayed owing to taking the wrong route. Arrived at the building three leads of hose were smartly run out, and in less than half-an-hour they had the fire completely under control, and at the same time prevented any chance of its spreading to the Auckland Gas Company’s and Messrs. Swinnerton and Sons’ buildings on either side.
SEARCH FOR THE MISSING BODY.
Once the fire was sufficiently under control a search was commenced for the missing body of the Slavonian, Marko Markovich, but it was not until after nine a.m. that the remains were found. The body remains were found on a small landing. They were charred and unrecognisable. Markovich had his sleeping quarters in one of the rooms at the rear of the second floor, and it would seem that from the place where the remains were found that he had made his way down to the landing in an attempt to escape by means of the window overlooking the yard at the back of the building. Meeting the full volume of the smoke as it rushed up the stairway, he must have been overcome before he could throw the window open.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE OTHER VICTIMS.
When the excitement had cooled down somewhat the boardinghouse-keeper was able to identify the body of the man found wrapped up in the blankets as that of a Maori named Kepa, who had been staying at the house for about a week. His age is said to be from 32 to 35 years, but it is not yet known where he came from. There were no burns on the body, which was subsequently conveyed to the morgue along with that of the other victim, who was not identified till some time later in the day, the boardinghouse-keeper only knowing that he had been admitted shortly after nine o’clock on the Thursday night. In the afternoon the second body was identified as that of Walter Speakman, a gumdigger, who only arrived in Auckland on Thursday evening by the s.s. Wellington, from Parua Bay near Whangarei. Mr. James Perry, one of the passengers, was the person to identify the body. The old man, Markovich, who had for some time past been in the employ of Nicholas Lukich as a general hand, was formerly on the gumfields, and had always been regarded as somewhat weak in intellect.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The origin of the fire is wrapped, in mystery, none of the inmates appearing to have the least idea of when or how it started. When questioned on this point the keeper (Lukich) could offer no solution, but stated that the last of those in the building had retired to rest about half-past eleven or a-quarter to twelve o’clock the previous night, when all lights were out with the exception of a gas jet in the bathroom, situated to the rear of the building, on the eastern, side of the first floor. But as little damage was done to the room by fire it seems highly improbable that this jet was in any way responsible for the outbreak. From the appearance of the building it seems likely that the fire originated in a small bedroom in close proximity to the top of the staircase on the first floor, as no room suffered more from the flames than the one in question, while the starting point would then account for the rapidity with which the flames travelled up to the second storey and the attic above, there being a natural draught. As against this theory, however, it is positively asserted by the boardingbouse-keeper that the room was not occupied that night.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING.
The building is one of three-storeys, surmounted by an attic, with brick partitions and lath and plaster floorings up to the first floor, after leaving which the partitions, are of wood, which is also used in dividing off the various rooms. In addition to the living rooms, including the diningroom, billiard-room, sitting-room, kitchen, pantry, etc., there were about a dozen bedrooms, the smaller ones containing a couple of beds each, and the larger ones more, there being five stretchers in the front portion of the attic and three in the room to the rear. The attic was completely gutted, nothing remaining but charred portions of the woodwork of the dividing walls and beds and portions of the mattresses. The rooms to the rear of the second floor were also gutted, but those in the front portion .remained almost intact. The same applied to the backbedrooms below, while the rooms overlooking Wyndham-street had only suffered by water. The stairway was in such a condition that some difficulty was experienced in reaching the upper floors by that means, clearly indicating that escape by the stairs must have been early cut off. Beyond the broken window, the front portion of the building bore no indications that there had been a fire there.
MEANS OF ESCAPE.
Iron fire escapes were provided at both front and back of the building. That in the front started from the attic window, the ladder running to the floor below, along the front of which extended a balcony, access to which could be obtained from the three windows looking on to Wyndham-street. Thence downward the iron ladder was to the right of the building, and in the event of inmates rinding difficulty in reaching it by the passage way on the first floor, it to possible to step out on to the broad ledge (some 2ft in thickness), and thus reach the ladder. The escape at the back of the building ran right down the centre, tapping windows on each floor, but not connecting directly with the majority of the sleeping rooms, where it would be necessary for persons attempting to escape by the ladder to make their way but by means of the narrow passage way before reaching it. This being so, great difficulty would be experienced in getting clear when the flames spread so rapidly, as was evidently the case at yesterday morning’s fire.
THE FIRE BRIGADE AND LIFESAVING.
A Herald reporter had a chat with Superintendent Woolley, of the Auckland Fire Brigade, yesterday, with reference to duty of members of the fire brigade to endeavour to save life at fires. In answer to a question as to whether any members of the brigade were set apart for this duty, Superintendent Woolley said it was always the duty of the whole brigade to save life first. When life was in danger members of the brigade would, if necessary, drop everything else and endeavour to rescue those in danger.
Asked what was done by the brigade yesterday morning. Mr. Woolley said when the brigade arrived there were several men, members of the Herald staff, and policemen on the fire escape, and Foreman Moore and Fireman Asher went to render assistance there, while he (Superintendent Woolley) burst open the window of the billiard saloon and went to see if it would be possible to get upstairs the back way, with some firemen to search the rooms. The fire, however, had a very strong hold, and it was impossible to get up. "In fact." added Mr. Woolley, " the three men must have been dead before we arrived. They were sleeping in very small rooms, something like 8ft by 8ft, and that fact must have led to their being suffocated, for as a matter of fact they had no room to breathe. I don’t think they could ever have been conscious, for had they been so they would certainly have been able to reach the windows, and none of them were seen there." One would, have thought that had they been alive they would have heard the women screaming, and he is convinced that they could have had no difficulty, if awake, showing themselves at the windows.
Our reporter also spoke to Captain Field, of the Fire Underwriters’ Association, on the same subject. Captain Field stated that it had always in his experience been considered the duty of the fire brigade to save life first. The Salvage Corps, while in existence, always acted on the same principle, and he had never known a case where either fire brigade members or members of the Salvage Corps thought of anything else while it was possible to save life.
THE INSURANCES.
The building, which is the property of Mrs. T. Foley, and was formerly a hotel, was insured in the Imperial Company’s office to the extent of £1500, while the furniture and effects of the proprietor. Nicholas Lukich, were covered in £150 with the London, Liverpool, and Globe Company. A considerable portion of the furniture was saved, though in some instances damaged to an extent by fire.
THE INQUEST.
To-day, at two o’clock, the coroner (Mr. Gresham) will hold an inquest at the Criterion Hotel touching the death of the three victims.
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19030620.2.62
THE FATAL FIRE.
The Coroner, Mr T. Gresham, held an inquiry at the Criterion Hotel at two o’clock this afternoon into the cause of death of Te Kepa Weropupu, Marko Markovich, and Walter T. Speakman, who lost their lives at the fire that occurred yesterday morning at the Shakespeare Boarding-house, Wyndham-street.
Sergeant Hendry conducted the ease for the police. Mr. John McMahon was chosen foreman of the jury.
The Coroner said, after viewing the bodies, he proposed to take the evidence of Dr. Sharman and Mr Woolley, Superintendent of the Fire Brigade, in order to let them get away, after which the jury would go and view the premises.
Dr. Sharman deposed he was called to the fire on Friday morning about 3.20 o’clock. He had since seen three of the bodies in the Morgue, one halfcaste Maori, one European, and the other was too incinerated to be identifiable.
Sergt. Hendry explained that Kepa’s mother was, he understood, a Samoan, the father being a Waikato native.
Dr. Sharman said that the two men Kepa and Speakman were suffocated, as the burns were not sufficient to have caused immediate death. The third man might have been suffocated on the stairs before the flames reached him. There was nothing about the bodies to cause suspicions of foul play. The jury then went to view the scene of the fire.
(Proceeding.)
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19030620.2.62
source Auckland Star, 22/6/1903
THE FATAL FIRE.
DUMMY ALARMS
OPEN VERDICT RETURNED,
The coroner’s inquest was occupied from two till five o’clock on Saturday afternoon inquiring into the facts connected with the fire at the Shakespeare boardinghouse, which resulted in three lives being lost.
Mr T. Gresham was coroner, and Sergeant Hendry represented the police.
Charles Alexander Woolley, superintendent of the Auckland City Fire Brigade, deposed that on Friday morning at 2.50 o’clock he received a call by electric fire alarm. The brigade at once turned out, and reached the Shakespeare boardinghouse in about four minutes. The police and some civilians were already engaged on the fire escape rescuing the inmates. Witness was informed there were two men still in the building. He ordered firemen Moore and Asher to go up the escape. Witness broke the window of the billiard room, and entered the building, followed by some firemen, to see if they could reach the upper rooms from the staircase. On reaching the first floor the heat was so intense that he realised no person could live on the top floor, and that further progress was impossible that way. He then got the hose to work to stop the spread of the fire. He saw nothing to lead to the supposition there was any foul play in connection with the fire. He next went up the front of the building, and saw the two dead bodies in the room on the third storey. He saw them in the front room, when looking through the window. To his mind those two were suffocated. One was a Maori and the other an Englishman. He was satisfied that everything possible was done by the civilians, police, and his own men to try and save life. But for the permanent fire escapes fixed to the building there must have been further loss of life, as it was impossible for the inmates to have come down the staircase.
The Coroner said there appeared to be about 35 beds in the house, apart from the proprietor’s rooms.
In answer to the foreman, Mr Woolley said the door of the bedroom was shut when he found the bodies. The room was a very small one, and would soon be filled with smoke. It was strange that the men did not hear the women screaming in the next room.
By a Juryman: He considered the fire started on the second floor below the attic, in the back room. That would be the same floor in which the two bodies were found. The fire escapes provided for three exits from the building.
By Sergeant Hendry: Witness did not see the proprietor of the house or any of the saved imnates that morning.
By a Juror: Witness did not think the attic in which there are nine beds was fit for lodgers, or a sleeping room.
George Francis Lowry, compositor, deposed that it was a quarter to three as he came down the staircase leaving the "Herald" Office, and when passing the Shakespeare House he noticed a light shining down the staircase and noticed smoke rising from the roof. He sent Mr McVeagh, who was with him, to the top of the street to break the glass of the electric alarm to notify the brigade. Witness himself ran over to rouse the inmates by shouting out “Fire." Mr McVeagh found there were no alarm connections.
The Coroner said, his attention had been called to the fact that these alarms existed in some places merely as dummies. He had been told by Inspector Woolley that there was no communication with a number of these. The result was that the public break the glass, press the button, and think they have done their duty.
Witness said Mr McVeagh gave the alarm at the corner of Durham street and Albert street, and waited there. As a matter of fact the alarm was not connected with the station. It was fixed to the telegraph post with five to ten feet of piping, but no wire connected. Witness knew that nearly a month ago they were in a similar condition in Khyber Pass. The attention of the Telegraph Department had been called to this through the press already. Witness said he next saw the window thrown up and saw two ladies. He was assisted on to the escape and got up. He brought down a baby and handed it to Mr Graham. A constable next came and went up and got two other women out from the storey above. Altogether eight persons were saved from the building.
Sergeant Hendry said undoubtedly had it not been for Mr Lowry’s coolness and promptitude other lives would have been lost.
Witness: I don’t want to take all the credit; in my opinion the police deserve a great deal of credit. I do not think tbe two women from the top storey would have been saved but for the police.
Sergeant Hendry: If you had not given the alarm the police might not have been there so soon.
Witness said had the alarm in Albert street been in communication with the station the brigade would have been able to reach the fire four or five minutes sooner, as they would have travelled another route instead of going down Queen street and pulling up Wyndham street to get there. Probably had the alarm been connected, the brigade would have come down Vincent street and Albert street, and saved about five minutes. In that case it seemed probable that the firemen might have saved the other two men. As it was, Constable Skinner wanted to go into the room and get the bodies to try artificial respiration. The brigade being smart would most likely have got the two men out, and artificial respiration might have been successful.
The Coroner: You mean that if this alarm had not been a dummy five minutes might have been saved, and perhaps two valuable lives.
Witness: Yes.
By a Juror: The police had all they could do to get two women out from the floor above, as one of them weighed 15 to 16 stone, and it is a marvel how they got her down the escape. The constables he referred to were Mclvor and Sims.
By Sergeant Hendry: Witness saw Lukich, who was quite sober. As to the two women from the upper floor, they were so dazed with fear he could not say what was their condition. Sergeant Hendry said he only asked the questions because it had been suggested drinking had been going on, and it was well to clear the matter up. It was sworn to now that Mr Lukich was not under the influence of liquor.
Witness said he nearly got hit with a bottle on the head. It appeared to have been thrown out of the window above. He considered Constables Mclvor and Sims were most praiseworthy in their efforts to save the two women in the top storey of the house.
Hapi Haterete deposed (Mr Brown interpreting) that the body in the morgue was that of Te Kepa, a relative of his, who was about 50 years of age. Deceased was a widower.
Thomas Charles Jay deposed that he came to town with the man from Parua Bay on Friday night. He identified the body of the deceased, called "The Englishman," as that of Walter T. Speakman. Deceased was between 45 and 50 years of age, and a gumdigger by occupation. He was not married. Speakman came from London, and had been in New Zealand about 19 years.
Nicholas Lukich, proprietor of the Shakespere Boarding House, deposed he was an Austrian, and was duly licensed for that house by the City Council. The inspector saw all over the place. The license did not limit the number of boarders. There were 15 bedrooms in the house, Including his own. The beds would accommodate many more, and he but had 45 at Christmas and Easter, when shakedowns were also used. Witness identified the third body as that of Marko Markovich, an Austrian who used to help in the house. He was about 52 years of ago, and not married. There were ten people in the house that night.
Sergeant Hendry: There was also another man who came out of the window at the top floor and went down the fire escape.
Witness said if that was so, the man had not arranged for a bed.
By Serjeant Hendry: Witness did not know the two women who were on the upper floor. He saw Speakman in the sitting room.
By the Coroner: Does your license limit the number of boarders the house may accommodate.
Witness: No.
The Coroner said if that was the case, the City Council might license a house, but not specify whether it was for five or fifty. It seemed strange if there was no supervision over the number to be crowded into a boarding house when it was licensed.
In answer to a juror, witness said there was no gas in the top floor below the attic. Lodgers used a candle going to bed. Marko Markovich used to wander from room to room, frequently changing his sleeping place.
By Sergeant Hendry: Witness paid £150 to Green for the furniture and goodwill of the boarding house. He was insured for that amount.
Sergeant Hendry said there was not the slightest suspicion that there had been any foul play.
In answer to the Coroner, witness said he shut the door at 11.30 o’clock, and as far as he knew he was the last out of bed. The men might be in the billiard room much later. Coroner: With such an amount of inflammable material about, and candles for boarders in the upper storey, I should be chary about living alongside of you.
Sergeant Hendry said they could not produce any news as to the origin of the fire. Miss Kneen was present, but all she could say now was that the European was very much under the influence of liquor and the Maori sober when the two men went to their room. Constable Mclvor said the eleventh man came out of the room in the upper storey where the two women were. He ran down the ladder so fast that he nearly knocked two constables off. Mclvor said that after getting the two women out, Sims and himself tried to get through the door to the next room, but were driven back by the smoke. Sergeant Hendry said the police did all that could be done to save life. As soon as it was known that two men were still in the house Dr. Sharman was sent for, and also the ambulance, in case medical assistance was needed.
The Coroner then reviewed the evidence, pointing out that there was nothing suggesting that the fire was the act of an incendiary. It appeared that anybody could get in at any time and go anywhere, and if such persons chanced to drop lighted matches about, a fire might easily be caused. As to the cause of death, it was clearly the result of the fire.
The jury found that the cause of death was fire, and that the deceased came by their deaths accidentally, and by misfortune. A rider was added complimenting Constables Mclvor and Sims and also Mr Dowry for their courage and activity in saving life.
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19030622.2.33
INQUEST.
An inquest was held to-day by the Coroner (Mr. T. Gresham) into the death of the old man supposed to be Henry Brown, who was found dead in his bed yesterday morning in a Chapel-street cotlage. Mr. M. Casey was foreman of the jury, and Sergeant Kelly represented the police. The evidence showed that nothing was known of the deceased except that he had occupied the cottage in which he died since November 3. Mrs. Alice Barton, who lived next door, spoke to him at 9.30 on the morning of Monday last, and he seemed in normal health. In the night (about 1.30 a.m. on Tuesday) she heard a groan from deceased’s house, but it didn’t occur to her that anything was wrong till Wednesday morning, when, not having seen deceased come out, she informed the police. A constable went and broke open the door, finding deceased lying dead on his bed. He had evidently died in his sleep, for the bed clothes were undisturbed. Dr. de Clive Lowe performed a post mortem, and found deceased had died from fatty degeneration of the heart and kidney disease. Mr. M. J. Sheehan, the agent of the house, told the Court that he thought deceased was the man to whom he had let the house on November 3, but he could not swear to his identity. The man who had taken the house (and paid a couple of weeks’ rent in advance) had given the name oi Henry Brown. He said he was an old identity of Auckland. The jury returned a verdict of death in accordance with the medical evidence. The Coroner said that as the identity of the deceased was doubtful, a photograph should be taken of him. From the evidence that he was a man who spoke and wrote well, it was possible that his name was other than Henry Brown, and that he was hiding from his people.
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19041215.2.8
Plot 47: Walter Speakman (46) 21/6/1903 – Gumdigger – Hotel fire fatality
Henry Brown (65) abt. 14/12/1904 – Heart & Kidney
Rows 12-16 in Anglican Division F are what can also be known as ‘Potters Fields’, they were used to bury some of the people whose families were unable to afford funeral costs, institutionalised unidentified at the time of burial or had no-one to bury them. These plots were common graves with some having up to three individuals interred in each, as they were not purchased, permanent grave markers were not permitted to be erected.
These rows are now protected by native bush and it is now no longer known where either rows or individual plots are located in this area.
