MILL HUTS BURNT

Taupo Times, Volume IV, Issue 164, 18 March 1955, Page 1

MILL HUTS BURNT

A fire which broke out shortly before two o'clock on Sunday morning last destroyed four rooms in the block of buildings at. Messrs Tuck Bros. mill premises, Golf Links Road, known as the "Single Men's Huts". They com-; prised two bedrooms, cook-house and iaundry-bathroom. Two Maori workmen woke to find , their, room f ull of f lameo^ . and were \ .« * only just able to get out, one of them suffering burns to his head and face. They roused. Mr Harry Hay, in the adjoining noorri, who ran to the house of Mr Eric Smith, manager of Tuck Bros. Ltd., and gave the alarm. Owing to the Telephone Exchange closing at midnight, Mr Smith had then to run to Mr Ted MorseA house, v/hich is connected to thc "Fire Cair' system, and caH the Fire Brigade. Having done this, Mr Smith and members of Tuck Bros. staff got two lengths of hose connected to a fire "hydrant, supplicd from the 6000 gallon water-tanks on the property, with the object of trying to save huts on either side of thc burning buildings. They had only just got the hose going, Mr Smith states, when the Brigade arrived and took over, their prompt arrival and quick action undoubtedly saving the adjoining buildings, and deserving high praise. When Mr Smith was called the flames were already pouring out of thc windows and doorway of the building in which the fire started and he considered that the occupants would have perished had- they been a few seconds later in waklng. The Fire Brigade ran" a hose from the A. C. Batlis, in addition to the hoses supplied from the tanks on their vehicles, and from the tanks on the property. A considerable number of spectators were quickly on the scene. * i ' ^