NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1926, Page 3

NEWS BY MAIL.

MANSION SAVED. LONDON, April 26. A fire engine 27 years old, with smoke and sparks belching from the boiler chimney, fussed its way through the paeid lanes of Cobliam, Surrey, to a fire which broke out yesterday evening at Cobliam Park, a mansion owned by Mr Charles Harvey Combe. The fire started in a cellar beneath the drawing-room used ns a wood store. It was discovered by u maidservant. Miss Ethel Daniels, who saw clouds of smoke coming from the wood store. She at once ran to tell the cook, who told the butler, and lie rushed with extinguishers to the fire, but was driven back by dense clouds of smoke.

Directly the Cobliam brigade received the warning they started to get up steam in their engine, which had not been used for several years, but by the time they reached the fire they had enough pressure to obtain water from the lake in the park. Other fire engines were rushed to the scene from Kingston. Guildford, Esher and Ditton.

The Cobliam brigade consists of volunteers and the twelve members live in all parts of the village. Although they hail not attended a lire for seven years they quickly mobilised aiul were soon on their engine. When they got to the park they found the gatir snuf with the gatekeeper outside. News of the tire had not reached the gateman. The engine, followed by the others, made its way up the drive and over the beautiful lawns to the edge ol the lake on which swans were swimming peacefully. Within a. lew minutes the antiquated but effective Cobliam engine "'as pumping water into the fire at the rate of 150 gallons a minute, while the- chimney gave forth great quantities of flame and smoke. The lawn was so soft that one oi two of the engines sank into the earth near the edge of the lake, and difficulty was experienced in extricating them. 'The clouds of smoke were so dense that trouble was encountered in reaching the actual flames, flic outbreak is believed to have been caused bv a fused electric wire.

The household staff, led by Mr Coin lie, succeeded in dragging furniture to a place of safety.

The 'Cobliam steam fire engine vas presented to the village by the father of the present owner of the mansion.