SERIOUS FIRE OUTBREAK.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 June 1926, Page 9

SERIOUS FIRE OUTBREAK.

NEW WING OF HIGH SCHOOL.

FOUR CLASSROOMS GUTTED.

THOUSANDS OF POUNDS DAMAGE. TO CARRY ON AT RACECOURSE. Four classrooms of the new wino were gutted and another classroom was rendered temporarily useless by a disastrous fire which broke out in the New Plymouth Boys’ High School during the early hours of Saturday morning. In addition several other rooms suffered serious damage through fire, smoke and water, and the fine assembly hall and wooden dormitory building adjoining the main school were only saved after strenuous efforts on the part of the brigade. The damage is estimated roughly to be between £SOOO and £6OOO, the insurance on the main school and furnishings, comprising the assembly hall and sixteen rooms, being £II,OOO in the South British office. Though the cause of the outbreak has not been definitely established, it is considered by the headmaster (Mr. W. H. Moyes) to be due to a defective fireplace in one of the' upper storey classrooms. From a similar cause, a fire broke out a short time ago, and when the floor boards were torn up all the floor joists near the fireplace were alight or smouldering. It is understood that an inquiry into the circumstances of the fire is to be held. The fire was first noticed by a High School boarder who was awakened from sleep by the glare of the flames, and he immediately gave the alarm. By this time the flames were shooting high into the air from under the eaves, and made an awe-inspiring spectacle, plainly visible from all points of the town owing to the school being situated near the end of a prominent headland. EASTERN SIDE ABLAZE. The brigade arrived sharply, and under the direction of Superintendent A. Boon several leads were soon playing on the burning building. Clouds of smoke, billowing out indicated that the roof timbers underneath the slates were ablaze along almost the entire length of the eastern side of the building, while the whole new block of four classrooms erected a few years ago was a fiery furnace. The staccato crackle of disintegrating and falling roof slates was punctuated with hoarser rumblings and rendings as floor - joists and beams gave way and sent a shower of sparks flying skyward as they crashed. Owing to ths inaccessibility of the ceiling timbers between the inside lining and the slates, the firemen had considerable difficulty in getting to the isolated seats of. the fire, though heavy deluges poured from various points of the compass into the new wing classrooms soon reduced the main outbreak to submission. It was a spectacular if sad sight to see the firemen operating in the flame-lit gloom from all positions around the building, while inside the great, white-plastered assembly hall they battled in the full radiance of the electric light system, which had not been interrupted. Meanwhile hurried but orderly efforts were being made to clear the school, and especially the assembly hall, of all trophies, photographs and. other valuables, and a lovely bronze crown secured to the plaster near the main entrance, the part that was left behind when the Imperial Shield replicas won by the school shooting teams in 1916 were wrenched from the wall, is almost the only thing adorning the bareness of the assembly hall walls to-day. ORIGIN OF THE OUTBREAK. Investigations show that the fire almost without doubt originated in the upper floor classroom of the new wing, though when the fire was first discovered rooms 4b and 4c were well alight, and before the brigade arrived the roof had collapsed, starting a fierce blaze in room 5d on the ground floor. At the same time, the flames began to spread rapidly in lateral directions, and from 4c they licked their way to 6b adjoining, the roof of this room subsequently collapsing, but the next room in that direction, a laboratory containing valuable apparatus, was saved, though damaged by smoke and water. Along the east side, in a northerly direction, the flames travelled fast, consuming on their way the stock and furnishings of a storeroom, lavatory and stationery room, until they were stayed in the roof above the master’s study. The interior of the school presented a woebegone sight after it had been abandoned by the brigade on Saturday morning. The once stately assembly hall was bare of adornment, the upper plastering and ceiling blackened with smoke, wood ash and water, while in places the handsome roof lining was charred or burnt entirely away. The floor was a miniature lake, inches deep in places with discoloured water, while in charred heaps of books on a side bench lay the grim salvage of the burnt rooms. With few exceptions the classrooms drip heavily from water-logged and sagging plaster ceiling sheets, and “Danger” chalked up on odd door-posts warns curious people that floors or walls may collapse at any time. Outside, twisted skeletons of iron window-frames make poor attempts to shield from view the wreckage within. TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENTS. In spite of the heavy loss, however, the problem of carrying on has been attacked energetically, and the boys are requested to assemble as usual at 9 a.m. to-dav. when they will be notified of the temporary arrangements. It is understood that only five of the classrooms are permanently out of commission until reconstruction is effected, and that school will be carried on with the remaining rooms and racecourse buildings. As they did in 1916, the Taranaki Jockey Club have generously offered the use of their buildings and it is probable that the third forms will be temporarily- accommodated in the totalisator building, stewards’ stand and tea kiosk. Taranaki members of the Legion of Frontiersmen are at present encamped in the racecourse buildings, but they will probably disperse on Wednesday. The vestry of St. Mary’s Church has offered the use of St. Mary’s Hall to the school, and the preparatory department may be transferred there, leaving the sixth, matriculation anil fourth forme to be arranged for at the main school. The dislocation of work is therefore not likely to be serious, one of the chief difficulties being to assemble the boys each day at any one place.

Mffi-S. An emergency meeting of the High Schools* Board was held on Saturday morning, wlfen Mr. L. A. Nolan stated that he was sure the Jockey Club would be glad to offer the school the use oi their buildings and any plant that would be of use. » The question of providing some heating for the racecourse buildings was left in the hands of the chairman (Mr. H. B. Billing) and Mr. Moyes to arrange. The matter, of loss of time by masters in travelling to and fro between the school and the racecourse buildings was mentioned by Mr. Moyes as a serious disability, and it was agreed that some provision should be made to overcome this. The matter was left to Mr. Moyes and Mr. Nolan to arrange. The question of clearing up the premises and drying them out, to make the school habitable at once was discussed, and the best solution was thought to be the suggestion that some members of the tire brigade should be engaged, if possible, to do the work.