THE PORIRUA FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 295, 7 September 1908, Page 3

THE PORIRUA FIRE.

OCCUPANTS IN DANGER. ' Additional particulars of the fire at Porirua, reported in Saturday's Dominion, have come to hand sinco we last went to press. ' Sir. William Wareham, son of Mr. Joseph Wareham; licensee of tho Porirua Hotel.which was totally destroyed, according to the report furnished to the police, went round the building hotweon ton , and oleven on Thursday night, and noticed no sign of fire or anything likely to result in a conflagration. Tho first sign was about 2.30, when Mr. Wareham, sen., was awakened by a roar of flames, and, looking out of tho window of his bedroom which is next to the diningroom, he saw that tho diningroom roof was ablaze. .Quite unconscious of their danger, the other inmates of tho house wore sleeping soundly, but Mr. Wareham, without waiting to dress, soon aroused them. At tho time of tho fire there were eight people in tho building, namely Messrs. Joseph Wareham (proprietor), William Wareham (his son), G. W. Spark, James Francis (plumbers)', "and It. Place (brickmaker), and Misses N. Brennan, Vera Regan, and Mary Duggan. All when roused realised the futility of attempting to save any of their belongings, and made tho best of their way out of tho house. Mr. Wm. "Wareham, on giving the alarm, found Misses Regan and Duggan dressing and making .their way out of tho house, but Miss Brennan, Mr. Wareham's cousin, was nowhere to be seen. Subsequently, sho was found almost stupefied by tho smoke, and Mr. Wareham immediately took her on his shoulder and carried her down tho fire-escape into tho street.

Mr. Francis later found Mr. Wareham, sen., confuscd by the sinoko and .wandering about in one of tho corridors upstairs. His cries for assistance attracted the attention of people below, and a ladder being carried round to the top - of the . verandah Mr. Francis carried Sir. , Wareham down. It was only just in time as escapo by way of tho stairs was already blocked. Helpers in plenty did their best to save tho building, but were unablo to stop tho flames which consumed the whole tho hotel. As previously stated the building,- which has been recently renovated at a cost of £150, was insured for £1100;,£800 in the South British, and £300 in tho Royal, the valuation being £1100.' Tho owner was Mrs. H. Sullivan, of Wellington. Mr. Wareham values the contents at £900, the insurance being £600 in the South British iffice.