EARLY MORNING FIRE

Northern Advocate, 16 February 1926, Page 8

EARLY MORNING FIRE

A RESIDENCE DESTROYED. OWNERS ABSENT. At a few minutes to 4 o’clock this morning, Mr H. D. Whitehouse was proceeding to work at his bakehouse in First Avenue when he noticed a glare in the direction of Rust Lane. He realised that it was a house on fire, and promptly rang the alarm bell in Vinetown. Very shortly afterwards the alarm bell at the Fire Station aroused the firemen. The brigade turned out, but, acting on the indefinite directions given them, proceeded as far as Central Avenue before they were apprised of the fact that they had taken the road which placed them on the wrong side of the Waiarohia stream. They hastened back and turned up Rflst Lane, to find that the fire, then blazing fiercely, was at the residene of Mr A. Caller, adjoining Central Park, and fronting Cafler’s Avenue.

Water was promptly turned on, but the lire had a very strong hold, and it 1 appeared for a time to the many onlookers who had assembled that the house would be totally demolished. The brigade, however, was able to effect valuable work, for an inspection of the building today revealed that in all rooms except the breakfast room, in which the lire apparently- started, some property was saved. The house, which was a comparatively new one, was gutted, and it is problematical whether it can be repaired. There is no apparent cause for the outbreak. In the breakfast room, a, .few feet from the window, is a hole burned through the flooring, and it is the only place in the house where that happened. That is taken to indicate the starting point of the fire. In the adjoining siting room all the 'furniture was destroyed with the exception of an escritoire, which was discoloured, but the contents of which should be intact. Ornaments and curios on the mantelshelf did not suffer much damage. In a bookcase adjoining are some volumes which may be worth repair, and in a cabinet were some silver cups and other trophies which, beyond discolouration, are not damaged. In both bedrooms the beds and furniture were destroyed, bilt the contents of a roll-top desk and two chests should be little affected by the fire. Generally speaking, suit achieved by the brigade, considering the delay caused by lack of advice concerning the locality of the lire, was distinctly meritorious. The principal losses are those having other than an intrinsic value, for Mr. and Mrs." Cafler had some splendid old furniture, relics • and curios, and, not least, some rare photographs and other records of the early days of Whangarei.

Among the treasures destroyed were a swiord used at "Waterloo, and statuettes of soldiers of the "Waterloo period. . . The house was insured for £BOO in the Victoria Office, and it is understood that the furniture also is covered by

insurance. /> Mr. and Mrs. fiafler have been in Dunedin" during the past fortnight.