FIRES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 463, 23 March 1909, Page 5

FIRES.

4 OUTBREAK IN A HASTINGS HOTEL. (BX TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL COMIKSFONDENT.I Hastings, March 22. At 2.40 o'clock on Sunday morning, a prolonged appeal from tho Hastings firebell awakened the sleeping residents of the town. It transpired that a boarder, • sleeping in tho second story at the Grand Hotel, foil asleop in bed whilst reading, and, by somo means, the lighted candle set somo paper on fire. The flames ignited the kapoc mattress, which smouldered, creating, liowever, more smoko than fire. The sleeper, fortunately, woke, anil called tho household, who tolephoned the Exchange, and tho alarm was sent on to the (iro brigade officials. Mr. (x. B. M'Kay, tho proprietor of tho hotel, ut once procured some buckets, of water, anil poured them on tho smouldering material, tho fire being practically extinguished by the time tho liro brigado and polico arrived. It does not seem to bo generally known that tho moro pouring of water on ltapoc will not extinguish a lire within it as long as a spark remains, and, on the arrival of the brigade, it was deemed advisable to throw the bedding over tho verandah on to ? , ron^wa y* This being done tho smoko subsided, and it was found that, besides , ,)e( ? din 6> earpet, and a little charred flooring, no damage had been done.