CULVERDEN LOSES 19-ROOMED HOTEL IN A FIRE

Grey River Argus, 5 November 1949, Page 2

CULVERDEN LOSES 19-ROOMED HOTEL IN A FIRE

Whole Town Threatened P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, Nov 4. The Culverden Hotel, in North Canterbury was burned to the ground this afternoon, and an adjoining dwelling, occupied by the owner, Mrs Beatrice Gudsell, was badly damaged The hotel was a wooden one and was ‘at least 60 years old. ' It was one of two storeys, and contained 19 bedrooms. The building and its contents were insured for £9750 with the National Insuranc Company of New Zealand, Limited. No one was injured. Workmen had been burning off the paint of the hotel that morning, in preparation for re-painting. Fire was noticed on the upper floor soon aftei noon. Hundreds of voluntary helpers worked feverishly to save material from the hotel. They recoved all of the property from the house, and also cleared completely the stocks from a nearby general store. The' Culverden residents had decided only last Monday to form a District Fire Brigade, and, in the absence of fire-lighting equipment, calls were sent to the Hamner Volunteer Fire Brigade, 20 miles away; to the Waiou Volunteer Fire Brigade 14 miles away; and to State Forest Service units at Balmoral, about 10 miles to the south. These brigades all arrived in a very short time, but the hotel was well alight, and attention was concentrated on saving other buildings. Everyone in Culverden agreed that a large part of the town would have been endangered but for their concerted efforts. The Hamner Springs Brigade drew water from the swimming baths nearly a quarter of a mile away. Waiou Brigade used two big railwaywater tanks. The State Forest Service ran a swift shuttle service in filling portable tanks from nearby .streams. Culverden is not reticulated. The blaze was so fierce that the whole hotel had been razed to the ground within an hour.