FATAL FIRE AT NORMANBY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 221, 23 October 1909, Page 5

FATAL FIRE AT NORMANBY.

COMMERCIAL HOTEL DEMOLISHED. • MAN BURNT TO DEATH. OCCUPANTS ESCAPE SCANTILY CLAD, Yesterday morning at 1.30 o'clock i Normanby was the scene of a conflagration (reports the Star). At the hour named it was discovered that the Commercial Hotel wn,s in flames, and the occupants were hurriedly awakened from their sleep and escaped scantily clad, the majority in bare feet. There was a fairly strong wind blowing at the time, which soon fanned the flames into a roaring furnace, and before long the whole structure, a two-storey weatherboard building, was enveloped, the flames leaping to a .great height and the sparks being carried in glowmg showers over a radius of a quarter of a mile. Fortunately there had been rain earlier in the evening, which protected the surrounding buildings from burning particles. Before long the building collapsed and within an hour the place was a smoking ruin.

A BUCKET BRIGADE. There is no organised fire brigade in Normanby, neither is there a water supply. But a strong bucket brigade was formed, and by their strenuous efforts the outbuildings were saved. Against the ravaging fire in the main building no effort in 'bucketsful could possibly prevail. A MAN MISSING. It was thought that all the inmates had been aroused, but upon a roll-coli being made it was found that a labour named Thomas Gridley, about 83 years of age, wus missing, Gridley is Well known about the■>district, having been engaged by several persons lor some years past. He arrived at Nornianby bv train the previous night, an'd left his luggage at the railway station to be called for in the morning. As soon a 6 the i embers were sufficiently cooled (heavy rains having now fallen) a search amongst the debris was made, and the charred remains of the man (just sufficient to enable them to be recognised as those of a human being) were discovered. THE ORIGIN of the fire is unknown. The outbreak was first discovered about the region of th e kitchen, which, being downstaia, served to feed the storey above. It is said the chimneys were defective, and speculation points to that as the cause. INSURANCES.

The hotel was owned by Messrs Hill and Co., of Hawcra, and the licensee was Mr. A. G. Kimpton. The building va« insured in the offic? of the London, Imperial and Globe for £IOOO. The stock and furniture were each insured for £ IOO in the same office. A small cottage at the rear of the hotel was also destroyed, and was insured for £IOO. PRACTICALLY NOTHING SAVED. The licensee only saved a box of clothing and some pictures, which were packed up in readiness for his removal on the first of next month. On that date a Mr. Massey, of Auckland, was to have taken over the house.