HOTEL FIRE AT THAMES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 166, 14 July 1903, Page 5

HOTEL FIRE AT THAMES.

FAMILIAR LANDMARK DES-

TROYED.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

THAMES, this day.

The Theatre Royal Hotel, at the corner of Owen and Williamson streets, Grahamstown, was totally destroyed by fire about 5.30 yesterday evening. The buildipg was erected in 1868, and was intended as a theatre. It was a wr

known landmark in the district. It w..s built of wood, in two storeys, and contained over 30 rooms. The landlord, Mr Samuel Howard, was in bed, owing to a cold, when the fire w r as discovered. It originated through. a defective flue in the kitchen. The housemaid, seeing some sparks fall from the dining-room ceiling, found that the woodwork around the chimney was on fire. Mr Howard was alarmed, and tried to tackle the outbreak at its place of origin. -.. He found, however, that the room over the dining-room was full of smoke, aijd the floor was alight. There was time, to warn all the inmates, and remove a large quantity of furniture, but the building being old and dry quickly became a mass of flames, and by eight o'clock it was completely gutted. The. fire -brigade worked well, several jets of water being brought to bear on the burning building. TEe evening, fortunately, wis calm, and this assisted the firemen in their efforts to keep the flames frpjtt spreading to the adjoining buildings. Sparks set fire to the roof .of Mr Thos. Dunbar's shop, 200 yards down Brownstreet, but this was quickly, subdued. The property in the vicinity escaped damage, but very little was saved from the upper storey of the hotel, most of the boarders' and servants' effects being destroyed. The building was owned by Mr Owen Humphreys, of Epsom, and leased to the Campbell-Ehrenfried Com : pany, of Auckland. It was insured in the New Zealand Insurance Company, for £ 1700, and Mr Howard also had policies irpon the stock and furniture.