BLAZE IN MARTON

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 165, 14 June 1926, Page 6

BLAZE IN MARTON

PRIVATE HOTEL DESTROYED. OCCUPANTS’ NARROW ESCAPE. TWO INJURED IN HOSPITAL. A disastrous fire, believed to have originated near the dining-room on the ground floor, completely destroyed the Trocadero Private Hotel at Marton Junction early yesterday morning and caused considerable damage to an adjacent residence. Several boarders of the establishment received injuries when making their exit from the maxing building, two of them, Messrs P. Fogarty, a railway employee* aged oU, and W. J. Quinn, a labourer, aged 42, being 'at present in the V anganu Public Hospital, where they are making satisfactory progress. The hotel, which was a Dig twostoreyed wooden structure, was ablaz from end to end when the briga e arrived shortly after 3.45 o dock an their task proved hopeless. . Attention was directed to saving adjoining buddings, but the heat was so intense that the adjacent residence occupied Dy Mr Stewart also caught alight and was partly gutted. . , The blaze enticed hundreds out or their beds scantily attired; in their night 'apparel, while the reflections in the sky were observable for miles around. Excitement in Marton was intense when the nature of the blaze became known, and hundreds flocked to the scene of the conflagration. There were 17 boarders in the establishment, besides Mrs Hartford and her two sons and Mr J. Roberts wlio were conducting the hotel. So strong a hold did the fire have on the premises that the boarders are considered fortunate to have escaped with their lives. Young Hartford, who was suffering from a bad back, was entrapped, but effected his escape by jumping to the ground from the balcony. In the process of getting to safety, he received further injuries to his back. Several of the boarders were slightly injured by falls made when escaping from the bedrooms. Not an article of any description was saved, the occupants being aroused in time for them to make hurried exits only. Mr Fogarty had a particularly painful experience, his night clothes catching fire when emerging from the burning building. He was severely burned on the hands and hips. Mr W. ‘J. Quinn, slid down a pole to the ground and sustained internal injuries. The demolished building wasXowned by Mrs Winch, of Palmerston North, and was covered by insurance. The residence occupied by Mr Stewart was also owned by Mrs Winch. The furniture was insured by the proprietress for £7OO. The building had recently been renovated. The damage is estimated at £3OOO.