HOTEL BURNT

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1928, Page 4

HOTEL BURNT

FIRE AT LAKE KANJERI \

On Saturday evening shortly after - 6 o’clock the hotel at Lake Kanieri was found to lie on fire, and in a short ti'ino was a seething mass of flames, and was completely demolish-' ed, only a few articles of furniture being saved.

It appears that a fire had been lit in the sitting room behind the bar, about an hour (before the outbreak, / and Mr Tulloeh and Mr Craze were S in the kitchen having tea, Airs Tulloeh being outside gathering birch, when their attention was drawn to smoke and on investigation it was found that the sitting room was ablaze above the matel-piece near the ceiling. The flames had such a strong hold that with the water available nothing could he done to save the building and efforts were made to save some* of the effects 1 .

The building which consisted of thirteen rooms, was occupied by Mr Charles Tulloeh. The building was insured by the ‘mortgagees for £7*so arid also the contents for £250, in the Royal Exchange, while Mrs Tulloeh had £75 on the stock in trade and £250 on personal effects and furniture in the South British Office.

Investigations go to shoV that apparently the cause of the outbreak was a defect in the chimney, which allowed the fire to reach the ceiling.