HURRIED ESCAPE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 83, 6 January 1928, Page 8

HURRIED ESCAPE

FIVE SLEEPERS ABOVE BLAZE

BUILDING SAVED FROM TOTAL. DESTRUCTION By Tbiegbaph.—Pri.ss association. Auckland, January 5. When a fire broke out in a shoo at 476 Queen Street early this morning, five people who were sleeping on the floor above made a hurried escape in their night attire. Mrs. H. E. Kersey, one of the sleepers, stumbled downstairs in her night clothes just before the flames broke through her bedroom window. She ran down the street to a fire-alarm, but fortunately someone else had noticed the blaze a few minutes previously. The fire began in a shop occupied by Miss L. Herman, costumiere aild dressmaker. Rolls of cloth and silk and other highly-inflatnmable materials in the shop soon turned it into an inferno, and it was only the smart work of the men from the Pitt Street fire station which saved the buildinns from total destruction. Those sleeping above the shop were Mrs. H. E. Kersey and he’ husband,.Miss Herman and two Misses Mullett They were roused bv the noise of the crackling timber and the smell of smoke at 5.30 o’clock. All made their escape as quickly as possible. Miss Herman’s stock, which was valued at between £l2OO and £l4OO, has been completely destroyed by fire, water, and smoke. Mrs. Kersey, whose bedroom was right above the shop, Jost all her wearing apparel. The building in which the fire occurred is owned by Neville Newcomb Ltd. It is insured with the General Accident, Fire, and Life Assurance Corporation (Ltd.) for £llOO. The shop contents arc insured with the same company for £BOO, and the furniture with the British Traders’ Insurance Co. for £lOO.

HOTEL BURNED DOWN

bucket brigade saves ADJACENT BUILDINGS. BY TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.

Napier, January 5.

An outbreak of tire in the hotel at 1.30 this morning destroyed an hotel building of twenty-four rooms, owned by Herbert Neagle, the Hawke’s Bay Motor Company’s stables, a vacant shop, and a forge at Petane. A bucket brigade saved the shops and the benzine store across the road. The insurances on the hotel building are £4OOO in the New Zealand Office, on the contents £l3OO in the Norwich Union, on the fittings £250 in the New Zealand office. The stable building was insured for £4OO in the Allas Office.

The need for protection against tire loss is obvious. Consult The Mercantile and General Insurance Company Ltd., Panama Street. Wellington.— Advt.