THE HIGH SCHOOL FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1916, Page 6

THE HIGH SCHOOL FIRE.

CORONER'S INQUIRY. I SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES. AN OPEN VERDICT. An inquiry into tlie recent lire at the New Plymouth Boys' High School was opened at the Courthouse yc-sterday, before Mr. A. Crooke, Coroner. Tlie inquiry was conducted by the police, represented by Sub-Inspector Fouhy ( and Mr. P. T. Bellringer, superintendent of the Fire Board was in attendance. Walter Bewley, secretary to the New Plymouth High School Board of Governors, said that the part of tlie buildings that was destroyed was built of wood. The original portion of the school was built about 1875, but considerable additions had been made since then. The last part to be erected was the gymnasium, in 1914. The classrooms were insured for £1475 in the Standard office, £1025 in the New Zealand office, and £250 in the Atlas office, or a total of £2750. The gymnasium was insured for £4OO in the Guardian office and £4OO in the Phoenix. The classrooms' iurniture consisted of desks, tables, typewriters, cupboards, blackboards, stools, chairs, honors board, etc. On the scientific apparatus and chemicals was a policy of £l5O in the Standard oflice. The contents of the gymnasium were not insured. Classrooms were valued at £4OOO. The value of the buildings saved was £O4O, leaving a loss of £33 GO. The gymnasium was valued at £IOOO. The actual loss on scientific apparatus was £'2l2 0s 3d, and that on the furniture was £330. There was a loss of £'2so on the gymnasium contents. By Mr. Bellringer: It was reported unofficially at a meeting of the Board of Governors that an attempt had been made a day or two previously to 'burn down the buildings. Pho Board had not made any enquiry into the fire, William H. Moves, principal of the school, said he lived on the school premises, about 40 or 50 feet away from tlie nearest portion of the buildings that were destroyed. At the time of the fne there were S3 boarders, 43 of them being in his own house. Witness was outside the classrooms between 12 and 1 o'clock on the morning of the fire. The classrooms were not. locked at night. The majority of the boys were in bed about 8.30 on the Sunday night, but the prefects, who had supper with witness, were up till about 11 o'clock. Was awakened between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. by bovs knocking at his bedroom door. Witness went into the dining-room and looked out of the window which is directly opposite tlie passage way th.it existed between the gymnasium and the classrooms block. Noticed that the whole of the central portion of the gymnasium was on fire, and the classrooms nearest the gymnasium were also alight. The Fire Brigade arrived promptly. The buildings destroyed were: The gymnasium, containing an armory, a music room, football room and a bathroom; and in the main block, which 1 was 10ft 'Gin away, the following classrooms: Form IIT.a, Form Ill.b, Form IV., Form Vl.b, chemical laboratory, masters' common room, stationery room, dark room, and a room used by University students. (Practically nothing was saved from these rooms, except the books of the Finance , Committee, which were in the masters' common room. Did not think there were any fires burning in the fireplaces in the rooms when he went to bed. There had been fires during the day in the masters' common room, -which was the last burned, and in the Form V. , room, which was not destroyed. When i he first saw it the fire seemed to be | confined to the enntre of the gymnasium, , the end walls and tlie walls next to the J street appearing to be intact. In bis i opinion the fire undoubtedly started in the gymnasium, either in the armory or the music, room. There was nothing in- | flammable in these rooms; there was only a piano in the music room, and in the armory was another piano, three old | uniforms and two old rilles. The ar-

mory was the only room in which gas had 'been installed. A large marquee ivas stowed away under the staging at the e*d of the gymnasium, but this was the last portion of the building to be destroyed. It had always been a trouble to keep the big gate shut; it was in bad repair and it was impossible to lock it. The gymnasium was not locked, but the dark room and stationery room were always locked. There is a short cut through the school grounds irom Hohson street to Avenue road, and this U frequently used by the public. As a matter of fact, a public road that ts not closed runs right through the cricket ground, which adjoins the 'buildings burned. The fact of the public having access through the ground is a distinct nuisance, in that tools and other articles, it left out, were stolen. Many dozen tools had disappeared in this way. The road cannot be fenced off, and the Borough Council will not close it. About a week before the fire 'burning >paper was discovered in five desks in the preparatory room, lighted matches having evidently been thrown among the paper and schoolbooks. The preparatory room is a detached building. This incident occurred while the boarders were at tea, be tween 6 and 0.30 p.m. Boys were going out from tea, when two or three of them informed him. Went over and found papers burning in three desks, and dead matches in the other two. Inkpots in one of the desks had been tipped out on to the floor. The desks were smokeblackened, but not damaged. Only the paper, wliich appeared to have been bundled into the desks, was burned. Had been greatly annoyed for months by some person or persons coming on to the school grounds and scribbling filthy remarks ovei the building. The writing was apparently done by boys. Did not think the incident of the desks was an attempt to 'bum the school down, but an attempt made by toys outside the school to annoy the scholars. The remarks schibbled in the urinals were in derision of the High School boys. Had 110 suspicion whatever as to how the fire originated. At the time that the lighted paper was found in the desks witness immediately rang for the police, who were at the school about fifteen minutes later. There was considerable rivalry between 'boys at other schools and tile High 'School lads. By the Coroner—There was a gas ring in the armory. Apart from the mattresses in the gymnasium there was nothing inflammable in the building. It was possible far anyone who might have wished to set fire to the building to light the gas and place it against the wall which was not match-lined. Witness was firmly convinced that the building was set oh fire, simply because there was nothing to account for an accidental outbreak. By Mr. Bellringer.—lt was common knowledge that the whole of the school buildings were left open at night. This

was known to the domestic stafl' of the boarding establishment. The stafl' consisted pf four maids aiul a male cook, and had Wen in tlie Board's employ for (" I'H'e months, and witness had every "'midenee in them. A meeting of the teaching staff was held on the night of the fire, and most of the masters were there until 11.30. Mr. Searle was in the masters' room until 1.30 a.m. Every, thing appeared safe when witness looked round between midnight and 1 a.m. The night after the lire some fencing posts that had been put in during the day had been dug up. By the Coroner—Did not know of any discharged servant oi master, or any ex'bov, who bad a grudge against the school, and had not heard of any threat to damage it. The armory was locked, but the gymnasium was never locked as there was nothing in the building that could be carried away. Was certain that none of the boys were out after hours, and was positiv* that the fire was not caused by any of the boys at the school. The gymnasium was used as a play ground all day on the Sunday. Boys were in the music room until about 5.30 p.m. The gas ring had not been used since last November. There was electric light in the music room. Did not think any of the boys had been smoking in the gymnasium where they jeould be caught at any minute. F. C. J. Bellringer, superintendent of the Fire Brigade, said that the brigade received a call from the High School at 4.14 a.m. on August 21. Brigade arrived at the fire about five minutes later. The gymnasium was then well alight, and the fire was spreading to the classrooms. Tlie building burned with great rapidity, and was practically demolished. A heavy westerly gale was 'blowing at the time, and this materially assisted the flames. In his opinion the fire originated in the gymnasium, the largest body of flames appearing to be in the centre. The north, south and western walls of the gymnasium were intact when the brigade arrived. The classrooms had just caught, at a point about opposite the centre of the gymnasium. Did not think that a fire under normal conditions would have spread with the rapidity it did through the gymnasium, which was a comparatively new building with heavy timber in it. There was a possibility that the building may have been struck by_ lightning.

Stewart Tackson, whose parents reside at Toko, said that up to August 20, be was a boarder at the school. !He went to bed about 8 o'clock on the night of the fire. The big boys went later. He slept in No. 1 dormitory which was opposite the classroom that was partially burned. Ten other boys slept in the same room. About 5 o'clock was wakened by tlie falling of glass and saw a light coming through the window, from the direction of the gymnasium. Looked out of window and saw a fire blazing in. the daikroom, near the gymnasium, which was just catching at the corner. Woke a boy named Fookes who went and telephoned for the Fire Brigade, and witness then woke the other boys. Did not see anyone about the yard when he looked out. The wind was blowing from the direction of the gymnasium to the classroom. The whole of the darkroom was destroyed when lie saw it, except the wall at the back adjoining the stationery room. By Mr. Bellringer,—Thought that the fire started in tlie gymnasium and sprtytd to the darkroom. Saw flames in both rooms when lie first saw it, and also smoke coming from the other side of the gymnasium.

Albert Cecil Fookes. living at Stratford, and another boarder at the school, said* that he slept in No, 1 dormitory Did not know the exact time but somewhere between 4 and 5 o'clock on the morning of August 21, was wakened up by one of the other boys. Saw a glare in the dormitory. Glanced out of the window and saw that the classrooms were on fire, but could not see which one 9. Went up the corridor, woke up Mr. Moves, and telephoned for the Fire Brigade. Just after ringing up the Brigade he had a good look at the fire through Mr. Moyes' dining-room windows. Saw the gymnasium, darkroom, and stationery room blazing. Most of the fire appeared to be at the corner of the gymnasium adjoining the darkroom, liut the stationery room was also burning hard. The gymnasium roof was well alight. Could not say if the side of the gymnasium next to the street was on lire, as he could not see it. None of the roofs had fallen in when he first saw the fire. It seemed to be burning more fiercely in the music room, which was about the centre of the gymnasium, and the flames were being blown towards the darkroom and stationery room. If the fire started in the gymnasium it would have to go through thfl darkroom to reach the stationery room. Could not say when the fire started but the gymnasium and darkroom were burning the most when first he saw the flames. Did not see anyone a'bout the premises. Harold Trimble, a member of the Board oE Governors, gave formal evidence as to the ownership of the buildings by the Board. Samuel T. B. Burrell, gardener, residing in Lemon street, about 12 chains distant from the High School in a northwesterly direction, deposed that he woke up about 12.20 a.m. on August 21 to attend to olio of his children. After being awake for about an hour witness noticed a smell of burning doth. Looked around the house to see if there was any trace ol fire, but found nothing. Went outside on the verandah and noticed the burning smell very strong. The wind was then coming from a southeasterly direction, from the school. Looked over towards the High School but noticed nothing. Kept) awake till about 3.30 a.m. in ease there was a fire anywhere. At this time tiie burning smell had ceased. Went to,sleep, and firebell woke iliim at 4.20 a.m. Went up to the fire and the wind was then in exactly the opposite direction to that in which it had been just after midnight. This would account for the smell ceasing. The smell was that of burning cloth, and witness thought it peculiar that anyone should be burning rags oil a Sunday night. There was lightning about 3.30 a.m. . .Constable Fitzgib"6on gave evidence that since the fire he had made exhaustive enquiries in an endeavor to ascertain its origin, but without any result. W is present at the fire and made an inspection of the premises afterwards. There was nothing in the debris. There had been several scare rumors about the town in connection with the fire, but upon investigation witness found there, was nothing in any of tl' ?m. Up to the present there was not the slightest evidence to show that the fire was wilfully caused. A week previous to August 21 witness visited the school to inquire into an alleged attempt to burn the building, and he agreed with Mr. Moyes that the incident of lighted papers in the desks) appeared to be the act of a 'boy. Had a pel son wished to fire the building on that occasion he could not have selected a worse place. Lighted papers had been dosed in the lockers, and the lids shut down, with the result that the fire smothered itself. It had been reported to the Employees' Association that tie