COCKY'S ALARM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 30 March 1929, Page 6

COCKY'S ALARM

INMATES' HURRIED EXIT (By Telegraph—Special to "The Mail") AUCKLAND, 28th March. "Hello! hello! hello!" cried a green Mexican parrot in an agitated tone at a Remuera home about 7 o'clock this morning, the exclamation being quite a pardonable one, for Cocky had discovered that the house was on fire and that an ever-increa.sing glare was strangely inconsistent, with the gentle t,low of daylight. "Hello! Hello!" the bird continued, und if his vocabulary had been more e.uensive. he would probably have said more cocky calls. A coincident crash of glass and reeking volumes of smoke rudely disturbed Mr and Mrs J. H. Bagott,"and before long the Remuera and Parnell branches of the fire brigade were rushing post haste tor 28 Remuera road. In the meantime Mr and Mrs Bagott and their daughter Miss E. G. Bagott, lound that they were trapped,' flames roaring at both back and front doors, l'hey escaped in their night clothes from a side vera-adah and managed to grab an armful of clothes each as they got clear. That was all they saved. As befitting the announcer ot the lire, Cooky's cage was transferred to the safety of the backyard, while a scamper was made to save other treasured pets, including champion Persian ! ruts, Sydney Silkie doys, and squab pigeons.

i'here was one consolation. While the house blazed, the small menagerie was safe. It was a startled collection of animals which watched the leaping flames as they threw a bright red glow i;i the sky. This morning they were pensive, and C<*cky was a very quiet and sober bird.

When the brigades arrived the nineroomed house was blazing fore and aft, ana four rooms were badly damaged before the firemen got control. The Staircase was gutted, one of the firefighters, in attempting to run a lead to the upper part, falling through the casing. Luckily he was not hurt.