RESIDENCE DESTROYED BY FIRE.

Shannon News, 27 March 1928, Page 2

RESIDENCE DESTROYED BY FIRE.

CONTENTS ALSO LOST. A serious fire broke out shortly before half-past twelve last night in a five-roomed house in Ada Street, Shannon, owned by Mr E. A. H. Osborne, and occupied by Mr and Mrs F. Buekbnan and family, the building and contents being totally destroyed. The occupants had retired at half-past eleven and at that time everything appeared to be all right. About an hour later Mr Buckman was awakened by the smell of smoke. He saw a glare in the passage, and hastened to a backroom, where a young boy was sleeping. On entering the room he found that the flames were bursting through the ceiling and that the boy was still asleep Mr Buckman just had time to pick the lad up, with a few clothes, and hurry out with him. In the meantime his wife and daughter escaped ■with as manv clothes as they could o-a ther up in "their flight. The previous day a quantity of washing had been put through, and it was stored m one of the rooms. Mr Buckman endeavoured to recover some ot it, but on opening the door he was driven back by the flames. At this stage the elective light went out, and further attempts at salvage were useless. The fire-bell was rung by another resident in the street, and the brigade proceeded to the scene of the outbreak, but, although the water service had been laid to the house, there was no fire plug in the immediate vicinity, and the best that the firemen could do was to beat out the blaze in the adjacent paddocks and thus save neighbouring premises from danger. Fanned by a strong westerly wind, the house was quickly ■ demolished, together with its contents. As the building was situated on a hill, the conflagration made an imposing spectacle,, lighting up the countryside for many miles around. The outbreak is thought to have started in the ceiling of a room on the side of the house. The building was. insured,-but particulars are hot vet available. There was a policy of £l5O on the furniture.