BIG BLAZE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18893, 7 January 1927, Page 9

BIG BLAZE.

SPREYDON SCHOOL. TOTALLY DESTROYED, At -midnight the Central and Sydenham Fire Brigades sent out engines to » call from Spreydon residents who advised that the Spreydon school was ablaze. The building was.burned to the ground after a spectacular blaze which drew many people to the scene.

About eighteen months ago a fire-oc-curred in tlte school, winch consists of a wooden building over 50 years old, and the Minister for Education decided t-> lepair it as it was well eaten with borer.

Thero were four main rooms and two porches in the building, and the structure blazed fiere.oly. The caretaker had been carrying out. cleaning operations during the day, but had had no fires

going. The chairman of the School Committee, Mr James MtKenzie, stated to a representative of The Vkebs early tins morning that the tire was extremely suspicious. There had been a good deal of controversy iu the district over the school, he said, and he added that it. was well up iu the list for rebuilding. The 1. w school, which is iu brick, is very near what remains of the old premises, and tlio liremen, who drew water from the Jlnathcote river, confined their alteutions to keeping tho lhmcs away from the adjoining houses. The engines were quickly on tho scene, but i! was impossible la save any portion of tho old building.

The insurances, which were not. avuilabn last evening, were with tho rJeTiartme.it, which carries its own risks. When tho Hon. Mr Wright,. Minister for Education, visited Canterbury in October, he inspected the Spreydon i-lchooL Mr J. Mackenzie, chairman of the School Committee, said that the wooden structure was over 50 years old and was generally regarded as being quite unfit for use. The wooden portion had been painted and repaired since it wa» partly destroyed by fire, but the timber waa infested with borer. Repairs had cost £95. "The building does nob owe the country anything," said Mr Wright. If the Board put it well up on the list —it was not very far up at present—he primisqd he wouloj give the matter very favourable consideration.