FIRE AT WAITARA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81848, 18 September 1906, Page 3

FIRE AT WAITARA.

In the early hours of Monday morning, at Waitara, a fire was discovered in the Waitara Hotel, and it soon got beyond control, destroying these premises, together with those of Mr \\. Sampson, tobacconist, sta tioner, aad bil.iard saloon keeper, an d Mr C. P. Dugdale, cabinetmaker and upholsterer. Everything appeared safe when Captain Voung, the licensee of the hotel, retired to rest, but at about two o clock Miss Emily Livingston, one of the domestics was awakened by a crackling noise, which led her to the discovery of smoke which seenvd to be emerging from the diningroom. She aroused the licensee, who found one corner of the diningroom in flames. There were in the house at the time the licensee (Mr W. Foung), Mrs Voung and one little child; Mr White, of the Bank of New Zealand, Mr C. Sullivan, of Uruti, and three or four casual boarders. A bucket brigade was hastily or ganised by Mr J. A. Smythe, licensee of the Masonic Hotel, but their efforts were unavailing, the breeze causing the flames to spread with great rapidity, and soon the adjoining buildings were ablaze. Mr B'ckbessingcr's grocery premises 11 McLean street were sued by the efforts of the bucket brigade, the di rectinn of the wind assisting the workers. The inmates of the hotel escaped practically in their siyping apparel, and the piano, furniture, pictures, p'ate (a large quantity of which had recently been purchased by the licensee were io.-,t in the blaze. By a'most hercu'ean. efforts a quantity of "stock-in-trade was .renv.vtecl to a place of safety. Captain Voung, who lost all his peisonal effects, is almost penni'e-s as a result of the nre. The hotel insurances, as tar a> can be ascertained, are: On the building, Z'joo, and on the furniture and stock £350 in the Sun Othcc, and £.250 on the lurnuure m the Commercial Union, a total of ,£ISOO. Captain Young's personal effects were uninsured. At the time of the fire the hotel safe contained over ,£7O in notes, cheques, and coin. The cheques and notes are more or less defaced, but the coin is not much affected by the heat. The building was owned by Mr Da vid Leslie, of Epsom, Auckland, and was Tip to the 4th of September occupied by Mr Dooly. The two shops (in one buikling) next dcor were owned by Mr \V. Sampson, and insured for £3OO in the South British and National Un Mr Sampson's billiard-room appointments the South British had a risk of ,{!k«i. but there was nu insurance on ilv /J-s'" worth of stock in the tobac shop. Mr Dugdale lost the whole of hi*, stock, and estimates his less at about ,£450. or £2OO above the insurance of .£2511 in the Sun Office. Mrs W. Jenkinson was a serious loser, her picture '"ln Time of Pen",' which was on exhibition at Mr Dug dale s, being ue-troyed. 1 nis tine canvas wa9 valued at about ,£SO. At one time it seemed that an empty shop, previously occupied by Miss Purdie, wou'd go. The bucket brigade saved it, but not before the wa'l had been charred and b'ackene<J. Had the tire caught hold of this, another block, including tho Waitara Fv-n ng Mail Office, must have been demolished. The origin of the outbreak is unknown.

A temporary bar was being erected on Monday in compliance with 'he

Mr Samp'nn has alreadv in-trurt ed .Mr Uickhain, aiclutec't, to prepare plans fir the erecion of ;l new building. Ihf damage and the serious bu' happily averted danger to a large block ot buildings shou'd have tie ettect of once more raising in Uaitara the question of making adequate provision for righting any future tin-.