FIRE IN WESTPORT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18584, 19 December 1934, Page 14

FIRE IN WESTPORT

HOTEL GUTTED AN OLD LANDMARK (Per Press Association.) WESTPORT, last night. One of Westport’s leading commercial hotels,' the Empire, in Palmerston street, was, ih part, gutted by fire to-day. The budding is an old two-storey one, part of it having been removed to the present site in 1872, .when the old township was swept away by flood. It contained 40 i rooms. Those in the centre of the, builct--1 ing were gutted and the others more or (less affected by water and smoke. The (insurances total £2OOO in the London ' and Lancashire Office on the building and |£ICOO on the furniture and building in the British Traders’ Company, with £290 ion the personal effects of the licensee, Mr. J. H. L. Barry. A collision between a motor car and a motor-cycle and side chair arid a bicycle occurred during the rush to the ; fire in Lyndhurst street. All the vehicles ' were more or less damaged and William .Caldwell, 62, a member of the Borough Council and Hospital« Board, received head, face and body injuries.