MORNING BLAZE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 55, 6 March 1935, Page 8

MORNING BLAZE.

CHINAMAN'S NARROW ESCAPE

ALARM GIVEN BY TRAM MEN

Dazed with smoke, a Chinaman named Ching made an escape with difficulty from a bedroom over a blazing fruit shop at 336, Poneonby Road, early this ! morning. The shop was gutted before the brigade got the fire under control. The adjoining shops were saved. Ching's partner, Hi Chee, left the shop about 6.30 this morning to attend the markets. Shortly after he had left the motorman and conductor, Messrs. G. Gartfield and H. Elliott, of a cityPonsonby tram, noticed smoke issuing from the front of the ehop. They at once pulled the tram up and banged on the door to arouse the occupants and shouted to a passer-by to break the fire alarm in the street. Ching, who. had been asleep, was almost overcome by the smoke and "•roped his way down the stairs to find the shop ablaze. Bending low and koepinn- to the wall, lie dashed through the flaines to the door, which ha managed to open, and fell into the street. Chin" realised that his life nad been saved by the prompt action of the tramwaymen. "One more second, he said, in broken English, "and I would have been dead-burned up like these apples, and he pointed to rows of charred trun The stock and furnishings were not insured, and Hi Chee and Clung estimate their loss at about £200. The former, who has a wife dependent on him in China, was very despondent over Ms share of the loss and sat silen; on the step of the gutted building. Ching, however, was more cheerful and said that they would be able to carry on. The aiarin was received by the Ponsonby brigade at 0.58 a.m., and was answered by one of their engines, foilowed by a machine from the Central Station. The flames had a fair hold when the brigades arrjved, but were under control in about seven minutes. The entire shop fittings and a large stock of fruit were burned, although the upstairs sleeping accommodation was only slightly damaged by smoke. One of the adjoining shops. No. 334, a home cookery, occupied by Mr. J. Procter, was damaged by heat, the win"* dows being cracked and the paint on *"e dividing wall blistered. The other shop, No. 338, occupied by Mr. W. C. Worth, Tocer, escaped damage. So far the cause of the fire has not been ascertained.' Hi Chee, the only person in the shop immediately prior to the outbreak, declared that he never smoked in the morning.