TE HORO SCHOOL FIRE.

Otaki Mail, 9 July 1923, Page 3

TE HORO SCHOOL FIRE.

ENQUIRY. iu enquiry info tlie oriryiu »f flu- fire •which dost roved the school oil thu night uf 2elh. June, via:-- held lit 1 fore Mr. T. .'Forsyth (Chairman Education Hoard). Messrs. \Y. 11. Field and Air. Darkness (At cml.wi- of .Coal'd) ::I the "school house, at noon on U l l l u rsdny, fith. .inly, 'i’liete vvfiu present members of (lie sc-liool fiamiuittae, Air. >S|nwait (.Si-cret-iti.v) nail Air. \V. Powell (Clark oi Works). Constable a. .“Salfcarley frnted rue Police. Alia:. Bln- k, head teJichyr, staled thu I she left .ciiool aider -! o'clock on (lie a;d craoon of thu lire. The children, v.'he ceded as el ten ns! s, finished at abou! . -V. l > p.m. .’she returned ;s-! h-d'iav j dark arid locked ?is Piter :e.iv in l.olh room.-. in Hie morning, but. were nearly t-nt aft or dinner, The tiro siat led in the in ran is room; the cleaners had liemoved a,dies and replaced guards, The ala Jin was raasud by Air. (1. Burnhard. . railway porter. .A piece of iiali'-charred vufld had buuu laid ua Ihe hearth in the infants nwoiu. Tlie losses, none of vhieli were coverlet by i asurauie, included:! | ) A hire, collect ion of her O’-vn f-i-hot>l propc/t-ies. the result of collection during her wliol. teaching careot'; (2) ■personal property nf Al iss. Bisi-etl. lesi dint i.cacher; < -d; a -pieiidid .chool library, jilting two .large cuptyjards. and pn.iiui.lv 1!'i• best on the roust ; also a splendid school museum, tire tesult of years of pitti.nl collect ion; M) a fine fiihi.wi ;;ports colic.tion. incl'iid i tig ihrec fool bails, two kaskot- balls, ami a nearly new coquet set.; (5) picnic proper)so-; (!■!) reiving machine. etc. Air. Davidson, Chaiftmau oil cmntii i t tee, le.tilittd to ill. can- taken iigdiinst- lire. fi-be acroens were .Iv. sy in te'ont of the 'fireplace and they were so hound after do,true! ioa. Iby Lukaslud ski staled she idea nod ont> Mi's Black - * rosin along with NclUe IM-itUr and always bald; the fin containing I ashes by the heap of stones, taking I tin Hill out and emptying the line suhi;.' (mV anfl fid ling water on tlsem. fgd-Ipi, Muir said *iw cl ea navi out the big room- (A Piss Black’s) tin* left the tireplae.. in order, .-.weeping back the I tin>sL'» into thu tiro-place and rumoving th* iiaheu. Thu UrcgnnciU were placed in position. .38* Sawrtr *r«» l.re-ne -i'iai.fliinrou tkey *lwi»»k end th-« infmur’; loom that day; no line at all was Jell j 'thud's. A tog was left on the buurlh in J front, of the rercen but she handled ) and esamiintd it a»o! it w:i» quite out. J Mr. Percy Taylor (Committeomau,< | fit.ted he ca-niu along with Alins Blittsk | on iliscovsrv of the lire, which then hie,: n strong hold: the liregi-uuds were found in position. .M r. Tom. Hums conh'rmcd the slitluy.iunts aa t« the rooai of origin, and as to the liire screens being in position. Air. G. Bernhard tcstilicd that he had id,-c:ve-i 1 kite glare ivlipn on duty pt thr itati.n, shortly after 11 o’clock. As so*a a? lie was free, about 11 •d l * p-m-. ha cycled up and'found the school on fire ami the infant.'' room neaaly consumed. Flaiuas broke through the roof while he was shill at Che station. He cauld not: approach nearer than the road b«ea**e of the Iwiat, tend nothing cotiftl bo saved. Befotw the eaquiry the elutJHiev ol the inl'anti’ rwm was very closely examined and afterwards demolished. A Suggestion had been made that the Ike )nti'it kave *rigißated through a deCoel iu the chisuney, but after a veiy t-licriiiugli inspection, the whole of those present, including Ike .on*able, were aritmnwu* in the opinion that the f»o ■lid not originate itirough any detect of the chirpy. ■' The was rctwne«: "The Board Coruuiittee, which in■Veiiigated. finds that every reasonable syrr.eauiiio ii was taken to ensure sit tut) , ihM. the .fire did not cntigiimii through defect in thu chimney: that I'liero is 11(1 suspicion of ineendiarisiu in the minds ©f any of lhose uonnccled wilh rite school, and kluit the origin of the lisa is m, detent titled. A pos'dlde clue may found in **"’ half-Mutrred log. which lrsft boon in the ft re in the ibmuoon, vhisli was belierad to be quite free oi ■fire If a lire spark remained it us not eyeu b,.»o.sibl« thut the log necame alirfit, ami rothsl on to the uoor. thu. settling firo to the building.-'