FIRE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 52, 7 February 1916, Page 8

FIRE

| —_—---- - • -——— MOTUROA HOTEL DESTROYED. The Rrcakwater Hotel was completely dost,roved by fire lasi nighl (reports the .Newsy I lie lire broke out sJiortly before nine o’clock, and alien the brioade arrived Hie building was enveloped in flames, which had spread throughout Hie hotel with great rapidity. So complete was the hold which the flames had on the building that the initial attack by the firemen made little impression, and one part of the structure—a one-storey addition—-was beyond saving; but a strong pressure of water was centred on the main building, and within halt an hour the fire was well under control. By (his time Hie one-storeyed building had collapsed, and was simply represented by heaps of burning debris but by ten o clock the rest of the fire was extinguished, and a charred shell only stood amongst ihe wreel-.age of (he fire.

•ho Jioiel, which was a rather old I building, was owned by Mr Thomas |Knowles, and the licensee was 3ir C. A. Sanasom. The main building comprised nineteen rooms, including bedrooms, living rooms, and the bar, while the one-storeyed addition consisted of a billiard-room, a store-room, a sit-ting-room, and the porter’s room. Ihe origin of the lire is not known. Shortly before 8 o’clock one of the campers on the beach went to the hotel for the purpose of using the telephone, but found no one at borne. A light was burning over the front door, hut there were no other lights in the building, and there were no signs of lire. There were a large number of people on the beach and several appear to have seen the lire at the same time, and they stated that the outbreak appeared with startling suddenness. Mr Sansom told a News reporter that-he was at the Theatre Royal when he was informed of the and in no way could he account for its origin, there were no boarders in the hotel, the only persons living on the premises being Mr and Mrs Sansom and the porter. They were at home all . day, and a tiro was lit in the kitchen to cook the meals, but as far as 31 r ' Sansom knew this had died out during the afternoon. After’ tea all three prepared to go into town, and they left the hotel about 6.30 p.ni. Mr Sansom had a look over the building before leaving, and everything was then sate, the only light being that over the main door. No one would have had occasion to enter the hotel during their absence. The building was insured iu tho South British office for £4OO, and the furniture and stock were covered by a policy for a similar amount. The building was completely destroyed, ami Mr Sansom estimated that the stock

saved-is not worth more than £2O.