AN HOTEL DESTROYED.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 230, 27 September 1915, Page 4

AN HOTEL DESTROYED.

FIE.E AT EAMO SFHDiGS. I ISTMATE-S , m RRIED ZXVX LEAVE BY FIXE ESCAPE •T'.y Telesrspb -Pf-cal ~ s^, . I WFUNT.AREr. lhil dIT . Tn-. ».-.: known Ksmo >pr.., S! . Hoi>J ;w« rompleseN .letroved by fi re ab? . ]t I nvr ofloch <m Sunday niornmg, provj. •ientsally uiuiout of life. Notferrsnain. »f l!..» fin- stricture but tit At thf Mro<> of tne outbreak, Mr. I:< J Mr-. Saarp and ihe;r 0( V » n . couver. Mr. B.me., and i>i« !on |Olle . hunpn. ai.i Mr A Brooke commerce travelleri u.-.-upied thf iipet 4 in roon, while Mr Jasper Montgomery, hu w:f. I son. ani liauphtor. wi-.n two p, f .» o f hotel staff, sicpt r,n the pround fioor. The alarm -..as ra:,f; by Mr Moat- ! gomerj. who, on waking, found Iα b*droom fall of unnke. After roiling others m the aljaoent icjmt h e r - o«iiwl up.iu.irs for tflp purpojc of awakening the boarder?, :cat <"■:' wbuin were ilrpadv *t:rr'ng The p)a>c by this time waj well aligat. Pending the ex;! by ti ,- -taroisp cut off, the mojatps of thf up»uirs roonu tucrpsßfullv maiip the r escap* from tks burning building by rncaas. of the ouu:d« iro A -«lre-e.'»rap'-j. I:c.-c had 0 r.17 recently hwn prectpi With the eicsptioa 01 Mr. Brookes, who n.a.Tajfd to gathfr a few thinea tnrf hid only thfir iM2htr!i-jthf« losin; practically sH lh^ir personal belonc.ngi Meanwhile, on the gro.ind fleer every. t>ody mi pot out safely in team attire. Thorc «"as no dm to Rave anyth.ng. The bar and office w. re the la«t to burn. Mr. managing to flcjir tie tal> and t;[i before he m driven out by the flame*. Abjolateij nothing could be donr tn the fir*, as tiic structure went like a tinder box in spite of the efforts of neighbour* a&d the Sanatorium Maff. The rlre ■nas. however, confined to th* hotel proper. Some fear* were enterti.ned for the <afct_v of the SanatOriim, situated about iorty yards froa the hotel. An intervening ien« m shrivelled up. but a .uckv chaugt of win.i diverted the flame? It is conjectured that the fire wu cautrd through a defective kitchra chimney It transpires that the cook, who -ilept near tht> kitclien. beheved nht smelt .-moke about hall an hour before !he alarm was rat&rd. but, thinking it was <v»u.»ed by the porter lighting the kit.'hen fire, did not attach any importance to the <mfl!. Mr. and Mr«. Montgomery are spe 'ia!!y heavy losers in then private elTerts which inciude about £50 worti of jeiveliery. £¥> :n pn\d. a preseotitinn watch, and a quantity or valuihle o!i silver. Mr. Montgomery waa the owner or , the property, and he cst;mitei h:s loss to i* about double thai coverri by insurance. The pohciei, »r( held in AucJdajid. are approiimatilj: Builrlinp- £HOO, fllocKJj «te ;> in th« United Office. It "':! lbe remembered K«m" SpriEgj property recentlj- brought into prominence through its proposed acqabition by the \\"han?are: Hospital Bcwi for hofpital purposes.