FIRES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13921, 26 March 1909, Page 7

FIRES.

JUBILEE BOARDING HOUSE GUTTED. OCCUPANTS SAVED.

About 12.15 this morning an outbreak of fire was discovered in the upper storey of the Jubilee Boarding House in Currie Street. The fire bells were sounded by the night watchman, and in a very brief space of time a crowd gathered in the vicinity. A number of the Fire Brigade were, attending a social function in the Brougham Street Hall, and in a very few minutes they had a hose playing on the flames. The other members of the Brigade and Captain Bellringer were quickly on the scene. The fire had obtained a fierce hold, and there was considerable excitement as startled boarders were seen scrambling through windows and down the fire escapes. Flames were soon leaping from all the windows and to those in front of the house a great deal of anxiety was occasioned, as nothing had been seen of the women, and it was not known whether or not they had escaped. - They had, however, made their exit from the back of the premises. Several of the occupants were partially overcome by the smoke and were only just in the nick of time in making their appearance on the front balcony, one man rushing through a window almost at the same moment as the flames. Constable Flanagan, who was among the first to .arrive on the scene, smashed in a door on the side of the building and, followed by several I others, made an attempt to reach the second floor in order to ascenain whether anyone remained in the bvilding, but were driven back by the flames. A mishap to one of the hydrants caused the Brigade some delay, but this they soon overcame and attacked the fire from all points with an excellent pressure of water. For some time the stru&gle for mastery continued, but eventually the firemen were able to get a footing on the balcony, and then to continue their attack through the side windows from ladders* Within half an hour they had the flames entirely under. Captain Bellringer and a- number of his men then made a search of the interior of the building, and fortunately found that all the occupants had succeeded m effecting their escape. t The bedrooms were completely gutted, the fire having swept right through the building. The interiors of the room? and the corridors were a mass of ruins andftfebris. Singularly enough, in some of the rooms^which. otherwise had been gutted, some of the boarders' effects recovered practically undamaged," including several watches, still going, boots and hats, and in one case a roll of notes (about £40 one of our representatives was informed) from under a charred pillow. "" The cause cf the outbreak is not known, but it is probable it originated in one of the bedrooms near the bathroom, No. 16. When Mrs. Foley, the landlady, retired shortly l>efore midnight, everything appeared to be safe. There were eighteen boarders sleeping upstajrs and on the ground floor an old man was accommodated on a couch and five people belonging to the house — Mrs. Foley, Mrs. CJark (daughter), Mrs. Scheibler, Miss Brady, and a little girl iiamed Jean Hyndman. Practically none, -of th<a. furniture in the upstairs portion of the building was saved and^ numbers of the f boarders, mostly visitors to the town for the raoes, only escaped in their' night clothes, wh^jst others had njshed froi^, the buiidinef with trousers and without c^at and vest. One or t|yo secured, their «ocks, and in one or .two caser boots also. Accommodation was found for the boarders in neighbouring hotels and boarding houses. Fortunately the warehouse of B^urgess, Fraser and Co., abusing on the burning building/ is of brick» thus preventing^ the v spread of the fire in that direction) An inspection of* these .premises snowed that no damage had been done. The Brigade is to be highly for their smartness in turning out to the scene and also on the manner in which they went about their work.

The building is the property of Messrs. Burgess, Fraser and Cq., and is; insured in the Queensland Office fpr £1000. The damage to the, building is estimated at £450; Mrs! Foley, .the landlady, had a policy of £250 on the effects In /the Alliance, but this doejs not cover more than half the estimated damage. RESIDENCE AT FEILDING DESTROYED. Pet Frew Association. FEILDING, March 25. A serious fire occurred about a milefrom town this, afternoon, when a dwelling-house, the property of Mr. L. M. Horrock^, one of the best residences in the locality, was completely destroyed. The piano -and a few articles of furniture were saved. The fire origin' ate<i in the washhouse. and -a [ wind blew it through the house before it cpuld be extinguished. TKe house [ was only finished two months ago, and Mr. Horroc^s was married last month. The losses include a collection of valuable wedding presents. The insurance on the house, which cost over £1100, was £800. There was no insurance on the furniture, the, owner having in-» tended* to take out a policy in a day or two. [Mr. Horrocks was -married- only about six weeks ago to Miss Quilliam, Of this town, a-nd 'thyrvfrie^as will feel sorry fqr^their unfortunate start.] THE PIAKO OUTBREAK. 5 . GOVERNMENT MONEY. THAMES,. March .26. . . ,A fire "at Bourke and Scqtcher's ] general store at Kerepehi, o*n the Piako lands, .destroyed the building and stock, valued at £1500. No appliances were available. The fire had a; good hold of the store, and soon reduced the place €o ashes. The insurances are not known. A thousand pounds of Government money in the safe was undamaged, though blackened witb. the, heat, , The money was to pay the Government drainage contracts. The origin is believed to have been due to *ats.

in real estate should bear in .mind, the >ale of properties to bo held py Mr* Newton King at his mart Devon Street on Saturday, April 3. To a syndicate wanting a first-class investment the Puketotara farm offers a rare opportunity, as it is already surveyed and pegged into convenient sections and being splendidly situated,, handy to town, should prove a valuable asset in the near future. Messrs. Webster Bros, advertise for to-morrow at 2.30 200" boxes of assorted fruits including 100 boxes of Frimley peaches, the last of this season's crop. This should be an opportunity for any who have not yet made their winter stock of jam.