FIRE OUTBREAKS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1925, Page 2

FIRE OUTBREAKS

A I.i.Kt DID 1 N( I'.N Dl A l( ix.'l. st.FI! 1 KS OF FIKFB. Yesterday evening the town was per-turb.-d greatly by the succession ol liecs which liappcned with great rapidity. at 11 !•: I > 1.l (AN lIOTKB. At the Bed I.ion Hotel, a lire was discovered in the room ot two In aiders. Both beds were alight and in addition a canopy covering hanging dollies, some lew ft cl away were found on lire. A visitor pa-mi ng along the passage notified t lie glam through the fanlight. and was fortunate in catching the tire in its incipient stage. \ cry little damage in the circumstances, was hiine. hut ti little lunger start and the lire would have beet) troublesome to control. The lire was in the portion of the hotel adjacent to the Fritecss llnatrc w here a picture entertainment, we. in progress. Naturally those tte<l ua in ted u i lit the circumstances of the v.cr, alarmed at the |ositioit. It w as clearly tli • wot k of an in diary. and was evidently d'Oi” :e a sl'eer act ~| ilcstriict ion. T h • tires ver.- in thtee separate place, and in a very short time tlm incut vni'M have hern ailame as the material in clothing and bed,hng was all of an inlhimmnble nature. Th - wall ,3 the room would likewise have assisted Die lire to reach the upper -tory. so that. Imt for the tint ly appearance of the passer by and bis prompt action, a very serious outbreak would have m 'nrred in a few mill'll AT IMF BAIHD'S. \ little while later it was reported a man was found in the garage of Dr Baird pouring out oil on the i’oor. On being interrogated lie stated he was looking for a lady'- bicycle. but promptly dream) ed and the inierrnce w'u- that he was on mischief bent. AT K FBI. FH'S lIOTKI.. Very soon alter Constable Best when passing tip Hevrll Street noticed the front sitting room of Keller's Hotel on lire. A rapid entry, and lie found tlm window hangings ablaze, the wall paper burning, and some of the lurnitiite alight. I hose about the hotel were called and in a few minutes tile danger wa- averted, but not before damage to about £*Ji> was done. The fo on was not occupied at the time of the tire. About ten minutes earlier the proprietor had been in the loom, and there were not any unusual circumstance-. The entrance lo the sitting room was i ll -1 oil' the street and the room was lit up. having been in Use earlier in Die evening for writing purposes. Ibe cutis., oi the lire was undis (ivi’t'erl. as there was nothing m indent,’ liow it happened. The tact o: two tires pmv iotlsiv in other parts el the town suggested that perhaps a lire ileud w a.- at w ork, but this unpleasant dedtieliun was purely a mailer of imagination as far as the evidence went. M F'f'i lODIKT ( IH'Ht il (.I'TTFI). The li rebel! rang out an alarm at HI oh loci;, and it wits soon -ecu that the Methodist ( hurrh in Fev.eil Strict was on lire. The in-ide ot the huiltling was eoiuitig l.broueh tia* top •,! the lii!•!iii.c the tire having a .cod hold nt t he Upper portion .;! the struetuie. Tile Fire Brigade vv. smartly mi the scene am! vc-i V soon I ail a lottple of leads ot .veter on the lenlding. The pressure Was not very -Irotig at fir-l hut it soon increased in volume. Il was -oon -ecu that Die lire would be din’tunit to get under control. Tie- fire s; a tied at the hack ut I lie chilli It in live nortli-we-t turner oi the main struetuie ami had run up the dividing wall to tie ceiling and them-.. right along ii.” root irom one end to the other. I; was clil’iciilt to y : the water on to t he actual Haines end the in-ii!,. ol tl..- liitinh wa- soon .m in|.'i ,io w it*) ti— mol red hot a*! iiiotig ■ the too. it was not ui; part oi tin, ecihng had httrtti through ili.it the Brigade ware abl- to Use the v.ater to advnnta UO Meanwhile life tool at the ridging and along both end- had bur-t into great thinies. and the Loo oi tinIron: gable wa- all ablaze, lighting up the -urriiuiidiiig-. (> radtui 11 *, the Brigaiie gained tile tiiii-tery. but it was nearlv mid-ntglit before the file me I i-■ 1 i’i-t!., under control, while another two hour.- had pa-'i'd hefotv llie llriin_ to ti •• repealed renewals of the 'lames, m various .portion- ol the ceilings and the vails. F ell then the hl'iw;,~ not <ptite ot.t and water wa , necessary this morning at •> u'cioci: to finish ti e job (if extinction. There was a large crowd watching the tirogre-- ol the lire in its early stage- and live closing ol rise picture: j add ’d a I’uri her number to the onion!;- j or -. It wa- recognised that the Brigade had a dithcult ta-k hut the men worked weil mnhr the -upi-rvi-ion of Supt. Bradiion and, lti- otTteers. The Chttreh tin- te.ornino bears a woebegone apnearaueo. The root in the centre is burnt right through while the flame* have eomnletely gutted ti” whole of the upper structure and in

pines havo come down the walls to the floor. t!i(’ whole building being a ruin. The pipe organ that the Church contained has suffered severely and looks to be ruined. The only things that appear comparatively intact are the seatm<r acroiiunodation. - Vcrv many expressions of regret were 1 last night at. the destruction ol the line .Structure that has been tile home of the MHindi-t Church here since 187-. The insurances at the Church; Tin;): on the pipe organ t'JoO, both in the Church ( onnectiona! Fund. Ft. Haul's Metlmdist Church, which face- Sewell Street, was erected in l K 7t! at a cost ot L'ls’tto. It lias accommodation for 800 persons, and there is a, very line pipe organ, erected at a cost of oved el'Jotl. \n annexe at the rear is used a- a Sunday school room and tor church functions. ’I he Uev. .1. I', .lack is the Minister in charge. SUSPECT REMANDED. At the Magistrate's Court this mornin.,. before Mr A. F. Benjamin, -1.8., the Police charged .lolm M'intor Sinclair. about no years, a recent arrival m the di-’.iht with arson, in that he wilfully set lire to a motor garage the properly of Dr Bruce Baird. Mr Sellers appeared for the accused. Sergt King stated Die alleged offeme had taken place last night about 8 I o'clock. lie asked for a remand. Mr Fellers did not oppose, and did not a-k for hail. Accused was remanded to apnear on I'uesday. October lith, at 1 tl.iki a.in It is understood that there are three other charges pending arising out of the other fires during the night.