CHURCH ON FIRE

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 March 1930, Page 8

CHURCH ON FIRE

HISTORIC DOCUMENTS. LONDON, February 9. Fire broke out last night at the parish church of St. Mhry, Eatori 4 Socon, Bedfordshire. Shortly after the choir had left the usual practice at about 8.45 p.m. villagers noticed flames in the interior, and the building rapidly became 'a mass of fire. Fire brigades from St. Neots and Sandy were on the spot in twenty minutes, but little could be done to save the church. . / The roof quickly collapsed, and the bells of the church clock chimed their final peal as the flames ate through the rafters. The fire got a .firm holfl of the tower and the belfry, which at first it had been hoped to savcl. The four Walls, with the flames bursting up towards the spire, presented an awe-inspiring spectacle, and coujd be seen for miles around. Firemen had great difficulty in fight* ing the flames owing to the height of the tower and the distance over which the water had to be pumped. Colonel F. M. Butler, one of thd churchwardens, stated that the re* cords, which dated back to 1400, had’ been saved, aS also had the Comtnua« ion Plate, but the beautiful carved" pews had been totally destroyed. . Mr A.. W. MacNish, of the Manor House, which adjoins the churchyard, who, with his wife, made plucky eP

forts to overcome the fire -with extinguishers, said that the flames were half-Way up the have before 15 minutes had elapsed. The fire first got hold of the organ, and then it rair along the roof. Among the huge crowd of spectators, the most pathetic figure was the Vicar, the Rev. E. P. Higham.