FIRE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3718, 1 September 1886, Page 3

FIRE.

I The Club Hoi el had a narrow escape from destruction by fh\j y««tord.-iy aftoniOin. At r about 4.30 two gentlemen who wero goin:; [ along the main street, m front of Messrs i Gabites and Planto'a, noticed a body of I flames m ono of the upstairs rooms, and imi mediately rushed across the street into the t hotel and giro ths alarm. At tlu ?amu I time another pen-on run up to the Brigade i Station and rani{ tho fircbll. Seveal momI bers of tho Brigade had soon mustered at tho > station, run out tho hose reel, and wero at tho , secno of tho fire m a very few minutes, had v , branch connected and were ready to play on . thu flames. Mr Darby, licensee of the i hotel, had, however, m tho nieautiino, with . tho help of soveral gentlemen, got hia , private hoso nt work playing on tho fire, and I by the timo the brigade hud urrived had got 1 it under command. Tho serrlees of. tho brigade were, therefore, not needed. , Tho fire originated m the bedroom of ono of tho male servants, who, it is stated, had, when ho left , tho room some short time before tho fire i sturtcd lit a cigar nnd thrown tho match down, i prrsuinably ot» the floor. Tho curtains brcame \ ignited, then the wull piwer, <!rc3ain!;-tablo i cover, table, bed and window-sash, and when i Mr Darby had got Ida hoso upstairs the firu i had got a good hold, and somo considerable j damage was dono. A sensation was caused i m thi courthouse when tho fireball rang, the i court, which was crowded at tho time, being [ cleared m almost as short a time as it tukes us ( to ivrito theso words.