BIS BLUE AT GREYMOUTH

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1930, Page 11

BIS BLUE AT GREYMOUTH

SEVERAL BUILDINGS GUTTED

THREE PERSONS IN HOSPITAL.

DISASTROUS SPREAD OF FLAMES.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Grcymouth, May 1.

■ Ono of the most serious fires in Greymouth for several years was discovered in the. Royal Hotel, Upper Mawhera Quay, at 3.30 this morning. It had a strong hold upstairs before it was noticed. A number of boarders had little time to escape. Several women escaped in night clothing and a number of men had only time to grasp their trousers. Ono young woman jumped from an upper window and.- sustained injuries. She was Mrs. Howat, Kanieri, wife of Mr. U. Howat, junr. They were on their honeymoon and arrived yesterday. Mrs.Howat was taken to hospital.

The lire spread through the hotel with rapidity and the building, bring fairly old and its timbers very dry, -was afire from end to end in a short time. The fire brigade had a difficult task as the place- was blazing when they arrived and the wind was against them.

The hotel was to have been taken.over to-day by Mr. Andrew Lees from Mrs. Williams. Nothing was saved from the hotel, wltioh was completely demolished. Moro buildings were attacked by the tiro as the wind was strong and water was not' available directly in -front of the advancing flames. .

Brick walls kept the fire to the upper stories at first and Mr. G. Webster had time to clear tho stock of his umbrella shop. Mr, S. Darrell’s second-hand shop adjoining was not cleared, but the flames leaped across- to tho roof of the ’Railway Hotel and that, structure was doomed. Some furniture . was rescued. It was impossible to save- the rear part of tho Railway Hotel, and the cottages at the back of the hotel were destroyed. The fire threatened to cross over Lithe shops fronting Mac Kay Street, ineluding Scotts, but the brigade checked it about 4.4'0 a.m. when it nad control of all the buildings mentioned as well as Milner’s jewellery shop and F. Durable’s /tobacconist shop, which were damaged; by dense clouds of acrid smoke. The insurances on the Royal Hotel building aro £l5O-0 in the -Queensland office, £10G& in the Phoenix, £250 in the National and £270 in the Standard, The contents were insured, Darrell's building was owned by Mr. W. Mcllroy, but the insurance is unavailable. The stock was uninsured and the loss is estimated at £BOO. Webster’s building was insured for £750 in the New Zealand office. Tho damage was only partial. It is understood that the stock was uninsured, but most w-as- saved. The Railway Hotel was insured for £4OO in the Northern office. Mr. and Mrs. Howat. and Mr. A. G. Smith (injuries serious J and Fireman Blocksage, with cuts on hand, were admitted to hospital. Fireman Waltou had a narrow escape, falling timber denting Iris helmet. The water supply is reported "to have been-, very ‘good, but the wind fanned the flames.