ARMOURY FIRE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20456, 8 November 1934, Page 4

ARMOURY FIRE.

Early Morning Outbreak at Boys’ High School. SUSPICIOUS FEATURES. Bearing suspicious features, fire broke out in the armoury at the Christchurch Boys’ High School earlv yesterday morning and threatened “the building and between four and five hundred rifles, valued at several thousand pounds. However prompt action by Mr W. Davis, the caretaker at the school, and Mr H. W. M’Clelland, the groundsman, prevented any serious damage. Following the fire a report was current that the armoury had been broken into and that several rifles had been stolen, but this was denied by the High School authorities. The fire started suddenly and • colour was lent to the theory that someone had tried to burn down the building by the presence under the floor where the blaze centred of a heap of burned material. Shortly before 6 a.m. Mr M’Clelland, when going to collect his horses passed a corner of the armoury,*which is a wooden shed near the shrine, and at that time there was no sign of fire. When he returned about a quarter of an hour later, however, there was smoke issuing from the armoury. Mr M’Clelland' secured a hose and obtained the assistance of Mr Davis, who had been working in the school. The building was securely locked but a window was broken to effect an entrance and Mr Davis climbed through. He found the place full of smoke and was forced to use two handkerchiefs to cover his face while he dashed to open the doors. The fire, which had started under the flooring near one of the doors, broke through the boards in three places and was found just in time by Messrs Davis and M’Clelland. There was a pile of material burned under the damaged boards, while the flames had also run along under, the building through rubbish scattered on the ground. As the building is on piles, however, a hose could be brought into play underneath.