DANGEROUS FIRE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 89, 11 October 1913, Page 5

DANGEROUS FIRE

IN HEART OF CITY BIG BOARDINGHOUSE DESTROYED BRIGADE PREVENTS A CONFLAGRATION. Just about 4 o'clock this morning, an hour or so before dawn, people sleeping in rooms with windows overlooking the central part of the city were wakened by a tremendous glare which penetrated through drawn blinds, with lurid effects on walls and ceiling. It was as if a whole titreet of houses was ablaze. From the windows of the houseß on the higher levels dominating -the Te Aro Flat the fire appeared to be on a most alarming scale. The location was between Veitch and Allan's and Willis-street, and the high gusty southerly seemed to be driving the flamee of "the huge bonfire straight down towards the city. A Post, reporter was soon on the scene, and found that the burning building was the large twostoried, wooden structure known as the Melrose Private Hotel, formerly Ross's Private Hotel, next to the Brunswick Hotel, in Ingestre-street. The flames had already obtained a complete mastery of the place, and were shooting up a hundred feet into the air. The members of the brigade were concentrating their efforts on saving adjoining property, and in this they were successful. It was generally recognised among the crowd gathered out in the street that the brigade had done splendidly in confining Such a roaring blaze in such weather to one building. The alarm was given in three placesi from the street , boxes, Constable Andrews, Mr. Boniface, and a lad being responsible. The Brigade under Superintendent Tait with two engines were promptly on the scene. By a quarter to five the danger of a general conflagration was over. The Melrose was, however, with the exception of one comer, burnt out to the ground. The sparks seized hold of an adjoining two-story' house on the 'eastern side, owned )sy Mr. Henry Lake, of Ingestre-street, and occupied by Mr. William Young as- a lodginghouse, but the brigadesmen mounted ladders, hacked open the roofing and quickly extinguished the smouldering timbers. NARROW ESCAPES. So far as can be ascertained the fire broke out in a, sitting-room downstairs somewhere about a quarter past three. At that time of night when people are sleeping their soundest there was naturally some interval' before the danger was disclosed. The boarding-house contained fifty rooms, and there wefe a good many boarders staying in the house, oeveral had narrow escapes. Mr. Edward Bushby, the proprietor, who was sleeping on the ground floor, was wakened by the . noise, and when he opened the door in the passage he and his wife and three children were nearly choked by the volumes of suffocating smoke. With Mrs. Bushby and the children he managed, however, to get out safely. A boarder named Hanson found his , exit cut off from the upper floor to the fire escape and was rescued b,y the firemen with a ladder. Others ■ got out juat in time, and it was lucky that the alarm was given so promptly by Mr. Percy Wood, of the Tax. Department, who on finding the house on fire made a rush for the gong, but was driven back by the smoke and instead made a round of the house wakening everybody up to Iheir danger; Most 1 of the boarders, escaped with only their nigiiD attire and the bitterly bleak southerly made tfieir predicament exceedingly trying. One lodger found his way of escape by the staircase cut off and endeavoured to reach security by the medium of a back window, but finding he could not get out there owing to the flames he scrambled over the roof to the front of the building and descended by an iron escape. The rungs of the ladder were hot and he burnt his hands rather badly, Mr. AH. Linley kindly supplied Mr. Bushby with clothing and some others looked after the immediate wants of other sufferers. In practically every case all personal effects were destroyed. The building destroyed wajj owned by the Luxford Estate, and was insured in the Commercial Union Office for £1700. The furniture, which Was owned by Mr. Bushby, was covered by a policy for £500 in the New Zealand Insurant Company. Mr. and Mrs. Bushby are considerable losers by the fire, as their piano and personal effects were not insured. The damage to Mr. and Mfrs. Young's lodginghouse is mostly by water, which has invaded almost every room. The National Company has a risk of £500 on the building, and the furniture is insured with the Liverpool, London, and Globe Office for £100. ( . There was a splendid pressure of water in the mams—fr om 140 to 1501b to the square inch. THE BYLAW. In some countries the law" says that every landlord shall provide a place of security for valuables belonging to visitors, so as to prevent loss by fire or theft. The best security that New Zealand can offer is one of John Tann's fire and thief-proof safes, which never fail in the time of need, vfrlessrs. Sargood, Son and Ewen are agentc. — Advt.