MYSTERIOUS FIRES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 784, 6 April 1910, Page 7

MYSTERIOUS FIRES.

ffIGH SCHOOL BURNED. <

' GREAT EXCITEMENT AT " PALMERSTON.' ' ,

THREE- OUTBREAKS.

(Br ToleßraDb.—Preta 'Aisoclatlon'.l Palmerston North,' April 5. * Palmerston. has been thrown into a ■*" state of great v escitement throughout \ the ovening by an extraordinary series of mysteiious fires' 4 About o'clock suddenly rang out an alarm, 'as a ftro had > blazed'outsat the Palmerston 'Boys' High School, at the northern end of < ] the town , This is a fino range of J I wooden buildings, and the school has . been ono of the best and m6st success-;i,""j ful on the West Coast. It has .been ] managed by a special • local Board of I Governors, apart from the Education! 1 Board, and was a very popular instilu- ' i tion, with nearly 200 students. The flames spread through the main i buildings with extraordinary rapidity. .-J Thousands of people* gathered at the ' J scene, and groups of students and earned out the furniture wherever' H possible, while the fire brigade strove j to localise the fire

It was soon evident that it would bo impossible to save the main bnild> ing, and this was totally destroyed, but the brigade saved the cookery and art building and gymnasium. The buildings were insured for £2175'- ' in tho Phoenix, out it will cost another £1000 oyer that to , reinstate. The school will be transferred to the fine now technical building on Thursday WORKSHOPS ABLAZE. While tho High School fire was at 7", its height, fresh flames were seen rising from the centre of the town on '\ tho south side of the Square. This . J proved to be the workshops, factory, etc. ' at Mr Pcgden's new furniture ware- ' \ house This was in a thick nest of .j buddings. ( \ Residents, and as many of tho }>rj-— ~" gade as could leave the other fire, raced *' across tho intervening half-mile or so,~ ' and this fire was successfully confinei? to tho workshops, stables, etc. The insurances are not yet known. "";

A THIRD OUTBREAK. ,' ; Soon after'this a further blaze was ' seen arising on the east side of the < Squaie, 'where the brigade is now en- ". deavourmg to extinguish a fire at Messrs Millar and Giorgi's mercery e* * tablishment. ' '"' , INCENDIARISM SUSPECTED, f ] Latex. j It is practically certain that -to 1 night's fires were tho result of incendi i ansm The fire at the High School '| was discovered by Mr Leet, tho carer A taker, and was then blazing up the,' 1 lower story of the building at the i ' back. The first alarm given by Mr. I Leet was by ringing the school bell. '-' The fire at Mr. Pegden's was also \ discovered in an advanced > stage '-j The outbreak at Millar and Giorgi'j -J has now been put out It has resulted 1 in damage to the largo stock, but little ;j damage to the building. It has been j discovered that a ■■window in the* right-of-way had been forced, and tho sup-, posed incendiary had entered by it,, and fired the stock. The town is in a state of unrest. Mr Pegden's bulk-store was insured for'£loo on the building, and £300 <#*' the stock in the Yorkshire Company. ',