FIRE AT DANNEVIRKE.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 268, 21 November 1901, Page 3

FIRE AT DANNEVIRKE.

TOWS SAVED BY WATER SUPPLY. [BX TELEGRAPH. PBEB* ASSOCIATION.] Dannevirke, last night. About 2 o’clock this morning a fire - broke out in High street, the business tentre of the town. It originated in a two-storeyed building occupied by a rs A. Lang as a boarding-house, ana owned by Calder, Drummond, and Co., who ocoupied a part of the ground floor m a furniture and ironmongery shop. The rooms of Mr Hill, hairdresser, also ocsupied part of the ground floor. The draporv department of the Dannevirke Co-operative Store, an adjacent building, was gutted. The grocery department suffered a little from smoke and water. Including the lodgers, there were nearly thirty occupants in Mrs Laug s boardinghouse. Little was saved by tnern, several having narrowly escaped with their lives. One man named Harris, well known in Feuding, escaped tlnough a window on to the verandah, from which he fell to the ground, being stupefied by the smoke. He received severe injuries. Mr and Mrs Sehwass, late of Mount Stewart, near I’eiiding, and their four " children had an exciting escape. Mrs Sehwass was slightly burnt, and received flesh wounds in forcing her way through a window, while two of the Oldest children received burns in being carried through the flames by their father. ivliss Lang and others received minor injuries. The building was a mass of names a few minutes after tbo fire was noticed. Little was saved from the above mentioned premises, Mrs Lang saving nothing but a | little wearing apparel. The high-pressure water supply saved the town. Mitchell’s Masonic Hotel, on the opposite side of the street, had a narrow escape, a spark finding its way into a bedroom and igniting the wallpaper. The fire was noticed in its incipient stage, and promptly extinguished, after doing but a few pounds’ worth of damage. A man named Walter Watson was badly burned about the face and arms. The lives of three children were saved through the instrumentality of W. McNab, who also assisted Mrs Sehwass to get out. The insurances on Calder, Drummond, and Co.’s building were LSOO in the Manchester, .£550 in the South British, on the stock XiOOO in the Manchester; Mrs Lang’s furniture, X‘loo in the Manchester, X'2oo in the South British ; Hill’s stock X7OO in the Manchester, X‘so in the Norwich Union. The Dannevirke Co-operative Association had X3SOO on their stock, which was only partly destroyed. Mrs Parkor’s furniture, damaged by removal, was insured for Xt>o. Nymand’s building, occupied by Snell and Mrs Parker, was insured for X2OO in fcho South British. It was slightly dam* aged. The losses above insurances will probably amount to XIOOO. |