MASS OF FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 43, 20 February 1935, Page 9

MASS OF FIRE.

THRILLING ESCAPES. ;

BOARDINGHOUSE ABLAZE.

OCCUPANTS' HASTY EXIT. n (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) f ASHBURTOX, this day. ' Twenty-seven people made a hasty e exit from a two-storeyed wooden buildJj ing, the Prince Albert boardinghouse, in j Wills Street, at 0.30 o'clock this inoru--0 ing, when fire swept the building. ti Flames were first discovered in the kitchen, and in ten minutes the whole a structure was a mass of fire. i The boarders, roused from their sleep, t made their way down a blazing staire case, with pictures falling about thein a as they ran. • s One man's face was scorched, while a 1 very old man got out only with grert e difficulty. Another boarder fell to the - ground when fire burnt through the rope 3 down which he was silding from a e window. t Several of the occupants 10-jt sums 2 of money, one having £35 in notes -> under his pillow. The money and watch 1 of another boarder were recovered from 2 a. charred mattress after the fire. i The building was 60 years old and ; the brigade was unable to do anything r- to save it. The firemen concentrated c their efforts on the wooden mission building next door, which was •severely . blistered and scorched. On the other [ side a butcher's shop, owned by Mr. C. ; H. S. Samuels, who was an occupant of ( the boardinghouse, took fire and con- ■ siderable damage was done. ' The iioarclinghouse was owned by Mrs. ;': Elizabeth Coulter, of Belfast. Ireland. , The building was insured for £450 and s the furniture for £150* both policies being held in the Norwich Union Office.