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-- PaulKlemick - 21 Jul 2007

The Bruce Herald gives the following account of the accident at Otakia, which we have already mentioned as having resulted fatally in the case of the woman:- “An accident of a most fearful and calamitous nature, and which, it is feared, may yet in one instance prove fatal, occurred at the Taieri on Tuesday night. A number of Germans and their families, recently from work at the Chain Hills, have encamped in tents in the scrub at the rear of Mr. McKeggs White House Hotel, being engaged upon the railway works in the vicinity. The party numbers six men in all - four married and two single - having in each case separate tents. On the night in question they had all retired to bed early, when, about eleven o’clock, one of the single men, hearing loud cries for help, ran out of his tent, and was horrified by seeing that that occupied by one of the married men, with his wife and child, was in flames, and the owner, Gutschlay, escaped, for his hair was in absolute flames. The man, who was the first to come to the rescue, rushed to the tent, tore open the end of it, and got out Mrs. Gutschlay and her infant. By this time all the rest were awakened, and the unfortunate sufferers were conveyed to another tent, where it was found that Mrs. Gutschlay had suffered injuries of a terrible nature about the upper part of her body, her head, neck, and back were frightfully burnt, and on portions of her arms the flesh was merely a charred mass. The infant was badly burned about the head, but the injuries to the husband were not so severe. On Wednesday morning Mr. McKegg kindly took the poor people into the Dunedin Hospital in his spring-cart. The cause of the fire was, it would seem, purely accidental. The Germans have been noted for their quietness of their behaviour and the regularity of their habits. The Gutschlays were in the habit of keeping a can of lighted charcoal in the tent at night for the purpose of warming it, and though warned of the danger they incurred by doing so, they persisted in this course, and there is no doubt that to it they owe the unfortunate mischance which has befallen them. It may be added that Gutschlay and his wife were both young people, the wife being, only 20 years, and of very considerable personal attractions.” "Otago Daily Times", 29 August 1874.