GOOD SAVE IN HOTEL FIRE

Chronicle (Levin), 27 May 1947, Page 5

GOOD SAVE IN HOTEL FIRE

~proSS AsuociatiO'

By Telegraph-

INVERCARGILL, May 26. Wliat tlireateiied to be a fire o djsastrous proportioiis broke out ii Invercargill 's leading liotel, ihe Grand in Dee S'treet, about 7.25 tonight. Start ing in the inside walling at the rea. of the lounge bar on the lirst tloor o the building the iire, rapidly rising t tlie next floor, liad a finn hold when th. brigade arrived. Dense columns o smoke were followed a few ininute after the outbreak by flames. Quici1 work by firemen, however, had the lin conlined to a sinai] section of the build ing vvithin half an hour. Gtructural damage was conlined t the Federal Building portion of th hotel about the lift shaft from th bottle store to the lounge bar. Th*. only damage to the hotel proper wa. done by water and smoke. The carpet> and furniture, ceilings and walls re ceive a tliorough soaking. The 1 it". shaft ends at the ceiling on the lirs floor and the flames swept down and up it eausing considerable damage to th. walls, floor and ceiling around th. bar area and the walls, floor, ceiling and roof on the second floor adjaccn Ihe dormitory. Parts of tlie ceiling o the dormitory were damaged by fire an smoke and similar damage was done ti' parts of the ceiling of the lounge. Tlu dormitory itself was not damaged t any extent but the bedding and floo. coveriiigs sull'ered from water. Onlv one guest was acco.mmodated u the dormitory which is used to taki any overflow of guests from the hotu, proper, and he was not in his quarter-' at the time of the outbreak. Tlu dining room and guest rooms were no in_ danger at any stage of the fire bu it was tliought at the beginning of tlu outbreak that difliculty would be ex perienced in saving the Federal Build ing portion of the hotel. The loung> had only been in use during the las two months and all the furniture an . filtings were new. Piles of luggage and bedding on tli first floor provided evidence of liurriO" preparation by the guests and staff h evacuate the premises if that becam necessarv. The guests, who include two .Supreme Court judges, were in various parts of the hotel when tli smoke began to pour in. Some mad their way with bags and rugs to th back yard but otliers preferred to wai and eee tlie result of the flremen 's on slaughts on the flames. The eause o: the fire was unlcnown tonight.