METROPOLITAN HOTEL IN WANGANUI BADLY DAMAGED BY FIRE

Wanganui Chronicle, 22 December 1949, Page 4

METROPOLITAN HOTEL IN WANGANUI BADLY DAMAGED BY FIRE

The public bar, stairway anu upstairs portion ot the Metropolitan Hotel, a two-storey building at the corner of Taupo Quay and St. Hill Street, was badly gutted by an outbreak of lire which occurred shortly after 5 a.ni. yesterday. The fire is believed to have originated in the partitioned off public bar facing St. Hill Street, and the flames spread with such rapidity that within a short time

the building was well ablaze. The occupants of the hotel, numbering about a dozen, escaped in their night attire after being roused by a porter-barman, but lost all their personal effects. The fire was the second big blaze in the city area within recent months and will mean a serious loss of hotel accommodation for visitors over the holiday period. The licensee is Mr. C. Dustin, who has been in the hotel since August, 1948, and the premises are owned by the Brennan Estate. The hotel was built about 52 years ago and is a wooden building with the centre portion divided into two wings. The brigade, which rushed all available appliances to the fire, made a remarkably good save, and when the Hames were under control after about half an hour of strenuous effort, it was found that the rear downstairs portion, including the private bar, kitchen and dining room, were intact. The lounge was also saved, though the contents were badly damaged by heat, smoke and water.

Three machines, with Deputy-Super-intendent W. Brown in charge, responded to a call received at Central Station at 5.30 a.m. from an alarm box at the city railway station. A machine also turned out from the Castlecliff sub-station and within a short time .seven deliveries were pouring water on to the blazing building. When the brigade arrived, However, flames were bursting through the windows of the public bar facing St. Hill Street and the building was enveloped in heavy smoke. The first lead was taken through a downstairs window and a ladder was used for attacking the flames in the upstairs portion. The heat was so great that the top of this ladder was scorched.

Two leads were also taken through the main entrance facing Taupo Quay the firemen being met by intense hear, and a thick wall of srtioße when they entered the passage." The stairway was blazing, but firemen went up the stairs with the second lead, and in spite of smoke and heat, attacked the flames in the south-western corner of the building. One of the machines from Central Station was sent immediately to the Town Wharf, using the main entrance gates, and water sufficient for two leads, was pumped from the river. A ladder in Taupo Quay was also used for pouring water on to the top floor. Prompt action by a porter-bar-man, Mr. D. Bailey, who was asleep in one of the staff rooms at the rear of the building, was responsible for the occupants, in-

cluding five guests, being roused. Mr. Bailey was awakened by the sound of breaking glass and immediately went to his window, which overlooks an alleyway off St. Hill Street. He could see nothing wrong, but on opening the door of his room was met by heavy smoke. Mr. Bailey ran along the corridor of one wing calling out that the place was on fire. He hammered on the door of a room occupied by a woman and she made a hurried exit through a window and along a fire escape on the Victoria Avenue side of the building. “It was Mr. Bailey’s voice calling ‘Fire, Fire,’ that roused me,” said one of the guests, who escaped with a coat, his pyjamas and a pair of trousers which he grabbed as he left the room. The rest of his possessions were lost in the fire. « Fortunately, the hotel is well equipped with fire escapes and these means of exit were used by the occupants. Any attempt to leave by the stairway and the main entrance would have been impossible.

The hotel has 34 rooms and was fully booked up for the holiday ■period. The loss of this accommodation will be serious in Wanganui. Among the guests booked in for next. February were regatta crews which which will compete iiftlTe New Zealand rowing chaifipiqrfcbips on the Wanganui River. There were also booked in a number of competitors for the New Zealand inter-club softball championships, to be played here next month.

Mr. Dustin has held the licence since August, 1948, and before that the licensee was Mr. S. H. Cave. Within recent years extensive renovations ana improvements were carried out to'the hotel.

It is understood that the building and contents were insured, but detail* are not available. The most recent city blaze occurred early o n the morning of November 10, when the top portion of John Grant and Company’s textile factory at the corner of Wilson and Ridgway Streets was badly gutted.

Before that the most serious fire was the Rutland Hotel blaze on the night of December 30, 1946. The alarm to Central Station was given by Mr. L. W. Turner, of Airport Road, an employee of the Southern Cross Biscuit Co , Ltd. He was on his way to work along Taupo Quay when he saw the hotel burning and went to a call box at the city railway station. No time was lost by carpenters and others in preparing the former private bar, located off St. Hill Street, at the rear of the premises, as a temporary bar. This portion of the building waa practically untouched by the fire and the temporary bar was opened at J p.m. Recently, the Metropolitan Hotel was advertised by the trustees as being for sale by tender.