Herald, 7 November 2008
100 Years Ago by Ivor Markman
A selection of interesting century-old snippets from The Herald of
yesteryear. News from week ending November 7, 1908.
Home destroyed

SHORTLY after 7 o'clock last evening the inhabitants of the south side of
Park Drive, Cape Road Extension, and other places commanding a view of
Walmer were startled by the sight of a conflagration, seemingly of
considerable magnitude, which was raging in the heart of the "pushful
suburb." At the corner of Prospect Road and 11th Ave, within the grounds of
the Walmer Gardens Hotel, stood a wood and iron house of six rooms and a
kitchen.

This house was rented by one Richard Samuel CRAMER, a man of the working
class not too well endowed with the wealth of this world, who lived there
with his wife, his son-in-law, Henry POULTER, his daughter Mrs. POULTER, and
the POULTER's five children, Daniel aged 10, Ernest aged 7, Frank aged 4,
Percy aged 2 and a girl aged one month. At 7 o'clock last evening the entire
family, with the exception of three, were at tea in the dining room.

The youngest boys, Frank and Percy, were asleep, while Ernest was undressing
to go to bed in the same room as them. Suddenly a crackling noise was heard
in the direction of the CRAMER's bedroom, which is situated on the other
side of the house to that in which the three children were lodged.

On investigating and opening the door they were faced with a solid sheet of
flame. The room inside was a positive furnace.

Some attempts were made to drown the blaze by throwing buckets of water on
it, but the occupants were forced instead to make their escape from the
building. Outside it was found all were safe except Frank and Percy.

With great pluck and presence of mind, POULTER, the father of the children,
dashed back into the building and succeeded in bringing them out safe and
sound. The house was consumed like matchwood and within a few minutes was
burnt to the ground.
(November 7, 1908)