BLAZE IN HUIA STREET.

Taihape Daily Times, 18 July 1918, Page 5

BLAZE IN HUIA STREET.

Last night, about half-past nine o’clock, Mr C. E. Kelly noticed at the rear of his stables,, the glare of a fire; thinking his property was alight he rushed out and found a great blaze coming from the Arcadia Hotel, in. Huiai-Strcet. He immediately took steps to have the firebcll rung and to acquaint the fire-brigade members who Averc.at thA fire station.'The fire had such a hold by this time, the glare beinv noticed in the sky for a great distance away, that it seemed doubtful whether the brigade could do anything more than stop its spread' to contiguous properties. The Erigadesmen, however, put up a‘record in getting to work, and almost as if by magic they ■stopped the flames spreading and extreme light was turned to pitch darkness; ip a remarkably short space of time they had the fire completely under control so that no further damage was possible, except, of course, by water. The building was saved from being a total loss by the splendid, praiseworthy efforts of the firemen; in twenty minutes from the bell ringing there was no fire to be seen. This is all the more notable as the Arcadia I is a two storey building, and the fire,

1 whch started on the ground floor, had got into the chimney breast, fiercely | roaring upwards until the whole side of the house facing the town seemed ! to be in flames. No one can account for how the fire started; it is freely rumoured that it was frequently being used as a haven of rest by overwrought hangers about town, but whether anyone was in the building last night nobody seems to know. The Arcadia is a twelve-room-ed house, which had been tenantless for some two or three months. Repairs were effected recently; some of the rooms papered and other work done_ The owner of the property is Mr C. NT. Mardon, of Auckland, and before it became empty it was tenanted by Mrs Kirkpatrick. The interior of the building is much damaged, in fact, practically gutted, the loss being estimated at £250. The amount of insurmces is unobtainable as they were not “ffected in daihape. Mr MTardon eerily has' the Taihape Fire-brigade o thank for saving him from total oss.