BIG FIRE AT DANNEVIRKE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9306, 20 November 1901, Page 3

BIG FIRE AT DANNEVIRKE.

* SEVERAL NARROW ESCAPES. THE TOWN SAVED BY THE HIGHPRESSURE WATER SUPPLY. (Per Press Association.) DANNEVIRKE, this day. AboUt 2 o'clock this morning a fire broke out in High street, the business centre of the town. It originated in a two-storeyed building occupied by Mrs A. Lang as a boarding-house, and owned by Calder, Drummond, and Co., who occupied a part of the ground floor as a furniture and ironmongery shop. The rooms of Mr Hill, hairdresser, also occupied part of the ground floor. The drapery department of the Dannevirke Cooperative Store, an adjacent building, was gutted. The' grocery department suffered a little from smoke and water. Including the lodgers, there were nearly thirty occupants in Mrs Lang's board-ing-house. Little was saved by them, several- having narrowly escaped with their lives. One man named Harris, well known in Feildihg, escaped through a window on to the verandah; from which he fell to the ground, being stupefied by the smoke. He received severe injuries, and is to be sent to Waipukurau hospital. Mr and Mrs Schwas*; late of Mount Stewart, near Feilding, and their four children had an exciting escape. Mrs Schwass was slightly burnt, aiui received flesh wounds in forcing her way through a window, while two of the oldest children received burns in being carried through the flames by their father. Miss Lang and others received minor injuries. The building was a mass of flames a few minutes after the fire was noticed. Little was saved from the abovementioned premises, Mrs Lang saving nothing but a little wearing apparel. The high-pressure water supply saved the town. Mitchell's Masonic Hotel, on the opposite side of the street, had a narrow escape, a spark finding its way into a bedroom and igniting the wallpaper. The fire was noticed in its incipient stage, and promptly extinguished, after doing but a few pounds' worth of damage. A man named Walter Watson was badly burned about the face and arms. The lives of three children were saved through the instrumentality of W. McNab, who also assisted Mrs Schwass to get oat. The insurances on raider, Drummond, and Co.'s building were £500 in the Manchester, £550 in the South British, on the stock £1000 in the Manchester ; Mrs Lang' 8 furniture. £100 in the Manchester, £200 in the South 'British; Hill's stock, £700 in the Manchester, £50 in- the Norwich Union. The Dannevirke Co-operative Association had £3800 on their stock, which was only partly destroyed. Mrs Parker's furniture, damaged by removal, was insured for £60. Nymand's building, occupied by Snell < and Mi's Parker, was insured for £200 in the South British. It was slightly damaged. The losses above insurances will probably amount to £4000.