FROM FIRE.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 10945, 21 October 1932, Page 3

FROM FIRE.

WOMEX DASH TO SAFETY. Sydney, Oct. 12. Bashing out of the Grand Hotel, Lawson, in their night attire, four women narrowly escaped being trapped in flames which reduced the - building to ashes at 1 a.m. to-day. The Congregational Church alongside the hotel was saved by a tireless band of young men who formed a bucket brigade. They went perilously close to the crumpling walls of the hotel and f dashed water over the scorched wall of the church. The Grand Hotel for over 45 years has been a land mark of the mountains. It was a two-storey building of 28 rooms. Fortunate only four women - ■ were in the building when a passing motorist noticed the flames and aroused the neighbourhood. ■ Mrs Years, the licensee, with Miss Martin, Miss Mary Berg and Miss Pat Hilton were awakened by the crackting of the. flames and dashed from ' ■ the side door. By then the flames had a strong - hold.

The bucket brigade worked for ■ nearly two hours to save the church. . Others dragged the organ and a piano into the street. . Mrs Years and the other two young women lost-all their belong-

logs. They did not have time to , Erab coats before escaping. “Whisky,” a fox terrier belonging to Miss Hilton, was burned to death vrith three birds, also owned by Miss Hilton. Miss Martin lost £8 in ca%h. . The building was owned by Mrs