FAMOUS HOSTELRY ON FIRE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9138, 6 May 1908, Page 2

FAMOUS HOSTELRY ON FIRE.

A CINEMATOGRAPH EIRE

A strange spectacle was witnessed recently at Ye Olde Red Lion Hotel, at Hampton-on-Thames, whose history goes back for about 600 years. On December 16th last the owners of the house obtained the consent of the licensing justices to plans for the rebuilding of the house, which involved its idemolition, and a short time ago the work of removing the ancient interior fittings was commenced.

On the Saturday morning the old hostelry was seen to be in flames, and the Hampton Fire Brigade and that from the Metropolitan Waterworks, with three steamers and several fire escapes, were soon on the spot. A number of people who were in the house when the fire began were able to make their escape by the front doors, but presently several others, including two women, whose escape appeared to be cut off, were seen at the upper windows, callfug loudly for help. By means of the fire escapes they were brought safely through the smoke and flames to the ground. A man observed crawling along the roof, and another at a window were rescued in the same way. The last to leave was a man who escaped by jumping [from the cop of the porch over the main entrance. The firemen also managed to rescue two horses from the stables. They continued to pour water on the flames for half an hour afterwards. There may have been some amongst the crowd who thought the whole affair real, but the great majority knew that it had been carefully prepared for the purpose of taking a cinematograph picture. An operator was present with his instrument, and the picture was taken for exhibition in aid of the funds of the Fire Brigades Union. _ The whole affair was most carried out. Comparatively little damage was done to the old house, thhough parts of it were much charred by the flames, whilst the interior was swamped with water. Cotton-wool saturated with paraffin, had been employed for the purpose. This was ingeniously affixed to the window frames, whilst paraffin was sprinkled about other places.