A FIRE AT A “PUB.”

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 34, 11 February 1915, Page 7

A FIRE A T A “PUB.”

BOON FOR DROUGHTY SOULS.

The supply of water was reported to be short at the hotel lire at Opuaake last Friday night, hut, judging iy the following excerpts from the local Times’ account of the proceedings other liquors not requiring an addition of water were easily obtainable:—

A large number of persons carried out whatever they could lay hands on. The eagerness displayed in carrying out the whisky, beer and other liquors was manifest a few hours afterwards. Of course the workers wore •nore willing to salvage the hotel than .he other buildings, ft seemed to bo much more interesting and exciting to carry out bottles than to carry out ■hunks of iron. Those workers who .ere straddled across the roof had a /arm time, hut they stuck to their oh and kept cool by pouring cooling irinks down their throats, A good leal of “grog,” as the sailors call it, ias removed from the hotel to places mi the other side of the street. A lot ..hat was carried out was placed inside .he carriers to cool the workers who lid excellent work in salvaging. . . An hour or so- after the outbreak of are, and near a hogshead, was the head of a person—some amber fluid had been drawn off, and hence the other’s condition. They were a pair—the drink and the drinker. . . At

daylight, in a corner section, two pairs if big hoots stuck out from underneath a table cover. The cover was removed, and the two dead—to the world—had half a bottle of whiskey tucked enc-ode-—the rest being inside. The cover was replaced but not on the bottle. The waking time would he hard. .

After the excitement of the lire was ever, small parties wore to lie seen looking in hedges and under adjacent houses. What were they looking for —m isplaced co nfid e n ce.