ANOTHER BLAZE

Patea Mail, Volume XXXII, 14 December 1910, Page 3

ANOTHER BLAZE

At Wade's Coffee Palace. The third fire in Waverl»y within the last three months, occurred in Wade, s Coffee induce on Monday night. Shortly before 10 p.iu. the clanging of the firebcll gave the alarm, and in a very few minutes people were running from nil direetior s, and a crowd quickly gathered. The fbo brigade, which had been practising _an hour before, very quickly had their engine on the scene. A water sm ply was available from the tanks at the back, so the engine was run round to the bock and after a good deal of shouting and rushing around, a lead of hose was taken up the the fire escape steps and a jet of wnfe; was played on the fire. Investigation showed that the firqvvas sole confined to the area between the roof and the ceiling so care was taken to prevent any unnecessary draft fanning the flame, which was being lo pt very much alive by the wind which was blowing. But (he jet of water was short lived, (ho hose bursting and making it necessary to substitute another lenglh. This very soon began to leak also, and finally the hose had to be given up in favour of a bucket brigade, by which means the death blow was given to the oubrenk. All this time a salvage party ban been working vigorously, and before the fire was put under, had succeeded in removing all the downstairs furniture on to tie street, as well ns a good deal of that which was upstairs. In the morning the building and sun ouncliiigs presented a very dismal appearance. A good deal of the upper storey was absolutely soak'd with water. A large portion of the ceiling was burnt right through, and when , one looked through the charred beams it was easily seen that the building had had a very close call. If the fire had had n few more minutes start, it would have burnt through the walls, the wind would have got in, and the whole place would have been a mass of flames in a very short space of time. Of coarse the wall paper in a number of the rooms is ruined, and there is a good deal of breakage among the furniture and effects of Mr Wade and boarders. The origin ; of the fire is unknown, but Mr Wade Bunks that possibly it was caused by a spark sotting fire to a bird’s nest underneath the roof, _ The building is covered fairly well by insurance, but the furniture m.t so well, avid (he chances are that Mr Wade will lose heavily. Mr Wade did his best to accommodate his boarders as well as possible. Some slept in a cottage at the back and others elsewhere, and in the morning breakfast was laid in the cottage.