FIRE AT ELLERSLIE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 171, 20 July 1903, Page 5

FIRE AT ELLERSLIE.

HARP OF RIUN HOTEL BURNT

Early this morning the Harp of Erin Hotel, at Eilersiie. was burnt down and practically everything in it destroyed. The outbuildings and the hall near the hotel escaped damage, however. The house was licensed in tho name of Mr John Lennard, and was one of the Hancock and Co.'s hotels.

About two o'clock Mrs Lennard. who has not been well of late, was awakened '■v the falling of something in the house, and she roused her husband, lie at first

w.is inclined to take no notice, but the next momuiit Mrs Lennard declared she smelt smoke. Mr Lennard, however, never dreaming , of lire got up to sec what was the cause, anticipating it would be the smoking of the new lamp lie had put up a few clays ago. He opened the door and was at once smothered in a cloud of smoke which rushed in. it was evident that the place was badly on lire, and he roused the household hastily. There Mere six people in tho house, and they till had to get out as quickly and best they could, leaving , all but the barest necessities of clothing behind them. There was providentially a lire escape outside tho hotel —hitherto contemptuously known a a "the burglar's ladder" —by which the womenfolk were able to descend in safety to Lhe ground, and it is said that had it not boon for tho •xisloncc of this ladder the women would have had grout difficulty in escaping, for they had very little time to get away in as it was. Such was the hold the flames had got on the building that in less than half an hour niter i\w discovery of the fire and the escape of the inmates the place was in ashes. Nothing could be done to chock the course of the lire, and tlfe heat was so fierce that nothing could be saved from the wreck of the building. Fortunately the wind was not fstroiig enough to blow the sparks on to the p.djoining buildings. and thus a loss of £.°>oo in insurance was saved. Tho loss is the more severe because the house had just been re-painted, and everything was freshly done up. The painters had just left tho house, and to-day two men were to have gone out to put a new cloth on a valuable billiard table which was in the hotel. In the wreck is also a safe containing a week's takings at tho hotel. This safe is a strongly built one, so that there is a possibility that the money and contents may still be secure it Avas put into the hotel on account of the burglary which occurred there a couple of yours ago, when £200 worth of goods iiTul cash wore stolen. Mr Lennard took over the hotel about two years ago.

The insurances on the house and furniture amount in all to £2600. Of this sum £1000 is on the house, hall and outbuildings, but as the hall and outbuildings are untouched the amount affected is reduced by .■£ 300. The Imperial office issued one policy of £800 on the building and the Xew Zealand office has the remaining Joss, which is £500, upon the house. The South British office covered the hotel furniture and stock-in-trade in £690, and the Standard office is responsible for £810 on Mrs Leonard's personal furniture and effects in the hotel. The Joss is not computable as yet. but is said to be much above tlif insured amounts. The cause of tho lire is not known, and when Mr Lennard discovered' it there was no chance of finding out where it began.