RESTAURANT ON FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 146, 20 June 1906, Page 4

RESTAURANT ON FIRE.

An outbreak of fire occurred at v early hour this morning at Whitehead's Manchester Dining and Supper Rooms, Lower Queen-street. Mr Whitehead, jun., who sleeps on the premise*, returned home late last night to cover the place full of smoke, so he hur- 1 riedly awoke some of the waiters and |S instituted a search for the deat of th» fire. After some trouble it was located near the copper in the basement,/and *'.£ few buckets of water apparently satisfactorily settled the danger. The men 1 accordingly returned to bed, but upon being awakened this morning Mr White-' head found the smoke to be bo denM and acrid as to be almost suffocating. The windows were thrown open to cleil, the atmosphere, and another excursion was immediately attempted to the batfr ment, but it was some time before tb* smoke cleared sufficiently to maM|S search possible, and in the meantime th» City Fire Brigade had been communic*- ■ ted with. When the brigade flames were bursting through the wooden partition at the back of the boiler, '" and lapping against the floor boards. above. A hole was quickly cut througo the flooring, and a hose was set playing upon the burning timber, the danger being soon over. The damage was trifling, being confined to the lining round the copper and the flooring boards. The premises axe owned by Mr W. S. Whitley.