ANOTHER HASTINGS FIRE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 235, 16 September 1922, Page 5

ANOTHER HASTINGS FIRE.

MEI'HODIST CHURCH HALL. Still another alarm of fire was given this morning, when the Methodist Assembly Hall, at the rear of the Methodist Church, Hastings, was ablaze. The fir© evidently started in the right-hanu corner of the anteroom. at the back of the hall, used as a kitchen and for the storage of books, and when the brigade arrived they found that the flames had a good hold of the back portion of the structure. whilst a rubbish box, about eight or ten feet away from the corner, was blazing away quite merrily. The brigade quickly got the outbreak under, and succeeded in saving the front portion of the building, which the flames had just commenced to invade. A piano which was placed against the partition separating the main hall from the kitchenette, was rescued, but it had a narrow escape from destruction. because the cloth with which it was covered had already caught alight when the instrument was discovered and removed outside to a place of safety. It was thought at first that the outbreak started in the rubbish box, which, being close up to the building, set the fire going, the discoverer of the blaze removing the box to the position in which it was found by the brigade. That theory, however, was abandoned on the arrival of Rev. A. Mcßean, who said that the place where the burning box was discovered was its usual position. The cause of the fire is unknown, as the hall had not been in use for th© two previous nights The back room and contents were practically destroyed, but the front portion was only injured by smoke and water. The hall was erected bv a working bee of Methodist boys in 1906, for use as a Methodist Young Men’s Institute The building and contents were insured for £250 in a fund connected with the church, and the damage done is fully covered. Don’t delay, this is the; day to insure with the Alliance Assurance Company., Ltd., Fire, Accident, Motor Car. bee G. Hartshorn, agent. Market street, Hastings. See me before you buy or burn. A< real land and insurance agent (Norwich). F. C. Wilkinson, Queen street, Hastings •