THE ELTHAM FIRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18468, 1 February 1922, Page 5

THE ELTHAM FIRE

CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE* DONE, , ‘ 'I

(Fbou Ode Own Correspondent.) " HAWERA, January 31. The fire at Eltham caused e great son- , sation in the district, and the township, in a couple of hours lost two of its finest - shops, the damage being estimated at many • thousands of pounds. The origin of tbe fire ~ was at the back of Goldstone’s draper shop, and occurred about 0.20 a.m. The' l ! fire spread to Wilkinson’s, and both stqres : were devoured. The destroyed building! ■ Were sandwiched in between the Coronation # Hotel and the Bank of Now Zealand, both of which narrowly escaped destruction. The progress of the flames from their _ origin; was rapid, and after swiftly devouring- an . 1 outhouse they leapt to the ono-storoyed wooden shop occupied by Goldstone, which « was soon enveloped in flames. Then the j fire spread to Wilkinson’s, next door, which is also a one-storeyed wooden building. .At ; one o’clock these buildings were completely enveloped in flames, and the fire was burning furiously. Anxiety was felt for. the Coronation Hotel, a two-storeyed, wooden building. The Bank of Now, Zealand "wa* | safe, because it is a concrete building. The fire brigade, which was soon on tih* scene in full force, pat up a splendid fight; i and though the shops involved were beyond ! saving, it was felt that the efforts to confine the fire in this area, and save the hotel, would be successful. The fine was still burning at 2.15 a.m., but it was then spent. The flame at one time actually broke . through the windows of the Bank Zealand, but they were extinguished before'; they obtained a grip on the building. The ■. work of the brigade to save the Coronation /. Hotel was successful, the building being"" scorched, but not damaged. A strong wind ’ was blowing,. and this assisted the flames to sweep all over Gddstone’s and WiErfnson’s buildings, with the result "that bath.’stores were soon completely gutted. Aa the*.': five raged the walls and roofs wore soon';-, eaten away, until they quickly cojlapaed into the blazing interiors, and it not ■. long before the scene was a mass of fireswept debris, little remaining of the original: outline of two of Eltham’s biggest shops.. Nothing was saved from the fire.