PAVILION ON FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 225, 23 September 1929, Page 8

PAVILION ON FIRE.

KEROSENE SPRAYED. DARING INCENDIARIST. SOCIAL PARTY NEXT DOOR. PROMPT ACTION SAVES BUILDING. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, this clay. Almost under the eyes of a social party, a daring attempt to burn the pavilion at the Addington school swimming baths was made on Saturday night. While a social in the school building was in progress smoke and flames were observed coming from the pavilion, which stands a few yards away. A number ot men immeuiatetly went into the pavilion and succeeded in putting the fire out before any great damage was done. The pavilion is a two-storeyed wooden building, containing dressing sheds for men and women on the ground floor, and a club-room and kitchenette above. Kerosene Taken in Bottles. It was discovered that the walls of the dressing sheds had been sprayed with kerosene, and that a sack, some sheets of newspaper, and rubbish, all saturated with kerosene, had been placed under a seat and set on fire. Two large lemonade bottles which were picked up in the room were found to have contained kerosene. The Christelrarcli Fire Brigade was summoned, but its services were not required, as the blaze was extinguished before its arrival. Detectives arrived by car within a !q\y minutes of the discovery of the blaze, and they made an investigation. ■ Four Malicious Alarms. Four malicious false alarms of fire were made from the suburbs yesterday. The Christchurch Fire Brigade was called out on each occasion. Three of the alarms were raised from street boxes, and in the fourth.case a woman summoned the brigade by a telephone call. PICTURE THEATRE DAMAGED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) BLENHEIM, this day. A fire which occurred in the Palace Picture Theatre just before the opening time on Saturday caused serious damage to the dress circle in particular and the building generally. Extensive repairs will be necessarVj and the theatre will be closed for some time. The building is owned by Mr. W. Carr, and leased by the Thomas O'Brien Theatres, Ltd.,.Auckland, who also lease His Majesty's. The operating box and plant escaped damage. The. cause of the fire is unknown, but an incipient fire in the same place was discovered a fortnight ago.