STATELY HOME BURNED

Evening Star, Issue 19175, 16 February 1926, Page 5

STATELY HOME BURNED

PRICELESS VALUABLES LOST FOUR FATALITIES. Pres* Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, February 15. Four fatalities occurred at a fire which gutted the Culton Hall near Tarporley, in Cheshire, the ancestral home of Sir Philip Grey-Egerton. The fire destroyed most of the art treasures, which included many fine pictures, some by Rubens and Landseer. A band of people were in the grand salon attempting to save the pictures when the roof of the room collapsed, cutting'off the escape of two men and two women, who were incinerated. Several others wore injured, two seriously. Culton Hall was occupied by a Manchester ironmonger, to whom it had been lent by Sir Philip Grey-Egerton, who left Cheshire on Friday for Nice.— Router.

(Received February 16, at 1.30 a.m.) John Vanbrugh was the architect for Culton Hall, one of the show houses of Cheshire, standing in a magnificent deer park of 350 acres. The fire began in the upper part of the house, and spread with rapidity. The house was soon a roaring furnace, but the treasures of art were so valuable and numerous that there was a great temptation to try fo save them. To the last moment there was a party of servants in the grand salon, which was a noble room in black and white marble, pulling clown pictures and priceless panelling, when the ceiling crashed. Only those near the windows were able to break the glass and escape. Two maids ran to the upper room to try to save some valuables, but the floor fell, precipitating them into the burnlluch fine carved woodwork was lost, also the famous panels of Chinese lacrpiir.—A. and Js.Z. Cable. VOLUNTEER FIREMEN DEAD. DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £250,000. LONDON, February 15. (Received February 16, at 1.30 a.m.) The volunteer firemen who were injured in the fire at Culton Hall died. The damage is estimated at £250,000. Reuter.