FIRE AT MANAWIATU HEADS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3849, 25 September 1928, Page 2

FIRE AT MANAWIATU HEADS.

FIVE-ROOMED DWELLING DESTROYED. 'OCCUPANTS ESCAPE IN NIGHT ATTIRE. Shortly after midnight last night the five-roomed dwelling owned by Mr. A. G. Thomas, and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. WSlson A. McPhail and family and two boarders, situated on the Beach Road at Manawatu Heads, was totally destroyed by fire, the occupants barely having time to escape in their night attire. The night was particularly rough with a howling westerly gale blowing and during the evening a fire had been burning in the fireplace of the living'room, but all was quite safe when the family retired. It is surmised that the earthquake, which was felt with some severity at the beach, was responsible for shifting some of the bricks in the fireplace and causing the outbreak. Mrs. McPhail was awakened shortly after midnight by the noise of the fire but the flames had then spread throughout the ceiling and had completely enveloped the house, and it was only with great difficulty that Mr. McPhail managed to get his wife and six children, whose ages range from 10 months to llycars, to a place of safety. As it was they only escaped in their night attire. Everything was destroyed. The house was insured by Mr. Thomas in the Alliance Office for £4OO, but Mr. McPhail had no insurance on his furniture or personal effects. To add to their misfortune Mr. McPhail, who is a returned soldier, who lost an arm in the Great War, drew his pension of £2O odd yesterday and this was also lost in the fire. Mr. Kelleher and neighbours rendered what assistance they could by taking charge of the family, but it was impossible to do anything to save the building which was quickly reduced to a heap of ashes.