FIRES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 14 June 1909, Page 8

FIRES.

PRIVATE HOTEL DESTROYED. '.. ..': (bt telegbaph—pbess association.) . ■ •'■ '! ' ' '■■■.'. ■■■' ,\ ; CHrlstchureh, June 13. ■'. .Between three and four o'clock this morning (the' Cafe Continental, a large brick three-storied private' hotel, on the beach at Sumner,; was destroyed by. a fire that started in'the top. story, which was practically unoecupied. .: The. whole interior of the building TFEs burnt out, and the ' steel girders buckled, as a' result of the intense heat. The ■ occupants' managed to escape, many being only lightly clad, but lost all their belongings. 'The origin of the fire-, is unknown. Two:houses,.one occupied by Mr. Henry Cotterill, and the other by Mr. Phillips, had their roofs. damaged to a conside'rfrom' bricks falling, from the building, and the occupants had a narrow escape'from, injuries. The city brigade was telephoned for, but' did . not\turn out, .and the , local brigade had to do tho best it could; with the.appliances atcomraand. They had a high-pressure-. water supply to draw on, but the.blaze was too : greot. for. thorn .to make much impression ;ori it. Only three walls of the building -arcleft. The insurances; so far as-can bo ascertained,''are, Building, in tho vVictoria Company for £1400 • furniture -and plant ; for'; £1000 in, the Victoria. ;.Mr. Cotterill's house; is insured in" the Phoenix.' The cafe is the property of Mr. Riley. ■l.'--;., : '''-' : '.;"'/''-".. f V" ■.■'■: ■.■■■■■"-.■ Later.. :

I The Cafe Continental contained forty-two bedrooms built three years ago at "a cost of £8000. It is the property of a company. There were fifteon guests and seven others on the promises. Most of them lost everything, and some narrowly escaped with their Lyes. Heated radiatore were used, and there were no fires except in the kitchen and boiler-house. The estimated loas is £5000 above the insurances. SUPPOSED ATTEMPT TO BURN A STORE. _, ' , Walroa, June 12. . What was apparently a deliberate attempt to burn down Winters store and bakery was mado yesterday morning. It was found in -/ho morning that during tho night someono had ignited alioeis of papor coverine goods. Tho paper all burned out and the woodwork caught but, owing to tho absence of air in tho boxedin space, it wont out. Tho only access' to tho spot was by a small hok made in a pane of glass. Had the firocono ahead, aJI tho block to Oinon'B Hotel must hav« gone. There is no clue. Mi-. Winter had small insurances on a heavy stock. BOARDINGHOUSE BURNED. Christchurch, June 13. A boardinghouso in Montreal and Tuam Streets in the city was practically destroyed by fire on Saturday night. It was owned by Mr. Thomas Wallace, and occupied by Mr Samuel Smith. Tho building is insured in the Liverpool, London, and Globo for £350and the furniture in tho Royal for £ICO. ,Tho origin of tho firo is unknown.