Central School on Fire.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 125, 31 May 1904, Page 2

Central School on Fire.

I —•— BUILDINGS BADLY DAMAGED. A fftw minutes after ten o'clock ] last night an alarm of fire was soun- | (led, and was found lo proceed from an outbreak at the Central School, the usual peaceful neighbourhood of which wus soon rudely broken in upon by a crowd of several hundred I spectators. I The lire brigade was early on the I scene, and the liremen had two leads ' of hose at work. Dense, heavy clouds of smoke poured out—from what particular portion of the building, however, did not seem clear—and hung about the vicinity. The main body of (ire, judging by the smoke, was in the front of the main building, at the re|ar of the tower, and alter some time the flames made such progress that they struggled through the roof and wulls of the upper portion of the tower. At this stage, however, the position of the lire becoming clearly delined, the brigadesmen took a hand, and soon checked the onward course of the flames.

Meantime the east and west wings had also received attention. The latter especially was almost flooded out with water. So dense was the smoko that the men could not see before them jnside the building, and had to turn tho hose in and let it do its work pretty much at random during part of the time. Tile Humes proceeding from the tower having been overcome it was soon evident that no further danger was to be feared. Two or three times, however, little spurts of lire darted up from the charred tower, but these were each time quickly quenched. The outbreak was first discovered by some youths who had been engaged at practice in the gymnasium at the rear of the main building. They noticed nothing until coming outside, when smoke was observed. Some of them got into the school and started tin-owing water on the lire, which was by this time climbing the wall of the main corridor, near a large cupboard and a lavatory, in the former of which the fire ia thought to have started. Finding they could not reach high enough to. hope to stop the lire one of the party hurried oil and gave the alarm. An accurate estimate of the am' ount of damage done could not bo made last night ; but it is doubtful il less than £3OO or £4OO will repuir tho buildings. All the rooms Have been more or less affected by smoko and water, while the tower and Us immediate vicinity were verv seriously burned. Had it not been for the fine, still evening, tho brigade would have had little chance of saving the building.