FIRE AT MATAMATA

Matamata Record, Volume II, Issue 73, 23 March 1918, Page 2

FIRE AT MATAMATA

Almadale Boardinghouse Destroyed. While the Matamata show was in full sway on Thursday, the interest of the people for a while was taken from the ground and centred in flames to be seen near the township, and which proved to mean the total destruction of of the Almadale boardinghouse in Tower road, owned by Mrs F. M. Darby, and occupied by Mrs J. W. Moreland. The fire was discovered by Mr J. Fisher of Cambridge, an exhibitor, who had retired from the showgrounds for a change of wearing apparel, but the flames had then a good hold of the back portion of the premises, and it was seen that nothing could be done to save the building. Mr Fisher secured help, foremost among the and Vile, and a little furniture was saved. There were about sixteen guests staying at the house, and most of these lost their belongings. It is presumed that the fire originated through a defect in the hot water system, but nothing definite is known. The insurance on the house was for £550 in the State Fire office, and on the furniture Mrs Moreland had £IOO in the Ocean and £IOO in the South British. Mrs Darby, who had recently added a number of rooms to the house, estimates her loss at £350 over the insurance, and Mrs Moreland at £l5O. The house consisted of twelve rooms.