WHANGAREI FIRES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16425, 8 May 1924, Page 6

WHANGAREI FIRES.

NGUNGURA HOTEL BURNED.

WHANGAREI, Monday.—A defective chimney was the cause of the complete destruction hy fire to-day of the Ngumguru Hotel, some 15 miles, from Whangarei. Thei house of 14 rooms was owned by Campbell, Ehrenfried and Co., Ltd. The (licensee is Mr. Hughes. , The fire in the chimney was discovered at 11.15 a.m. A gale was blowing at the time. An employee said the risk was negligible, and conseq.uontily cooking operations were continued. Mrs Hughes, wife of tlha licensee, was upstairs with her grand-daughter, whom she sent down to the kitchen on an errand at noon. It was then that it was discovered that the building was on fire. Mrs Hughes was unable to enter the kitchen owing to the flames and smoke. She immediately .returned upstairs to wake Mr. Hughes, who had been asleep, in his room, as ho is suffering with trouble to his <back, which partially cripples him. So rapid was the progress of the fire fanned by the high wind t'hait escape from the building had to be made by a window and dawtii an iron ladder. Within 20 minutes nothing was left standing, the large building of 14 rooms being completely destroyed with all the contents. Some sportsmen who were staying for the week-end at) the hotel lost their belongings, while the licensee and his wife escaped only 8m the clothes they wore. Mrs Hughes istatted that the spread of the flames .was so rapid that had the outbreak occurred at) night it would have been aTniracle if anyone escaped. The building had replaced another burnt some years ago. A firei on Saturday night totally destroyed a) five-roomed house apposite the <owin wharf, owned by Mr. T. Beasiey, fund' occupied by a railway employee, Mill. Haunt, his wife and five childroui. Thei absence of waiter service in thalt part of the borough made it impossible for hoses to ibo used. The occupnints were albsemt at the pictures. They Host everything. Two pet dogs had been left chained neat' the house) and they were' bumned to deMth. Shortly after 2 o'clock an Sunday morning fire completely destroyed a fiveroomed residence, at Onerahi, owned bv Mr. W. H. Milliraiton. The house was in the occupation oif Mr and Mi's Curtis, ntnd family, who aire a.U heavy losers. When discovered th n fire had already obtained such ~n hold on the building thait. the .'inmates were scarcely able to escape with their lives. The origin of the .(Ire is not known. Mr. and Mrs MilSingtan had their furniture istored in one of the rooms and this was burned with the house. '