FIRE IN STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 May 1919, Page 4

FIRE IN STRATFORD.

'LARGE NUMBER OP SHOPS, ETC., DESTROYED. A Are broke out at midnight in a shop at Stratford occupied by Sheeh&n, tobacconist, and in an amazingly short time it spread to the adjoining premises. In an hour it had demolished a line of buildings near the railway station, and occupied by the following: Slicehan, tobacconist. Sladden and Palmer, civil engineers. Ford, bootmaker. Finnerty, estate agent. Richardson, grocer. W. G. Fargie, estate agent, Tyrer, solicitor. MeCluggage and Co., estate agents Cook, tailor. J. 0. llealy, architect. On Kee, grocer. Harris, fishmonger. Barker, refreshment rooms. The fire then attacked the following places: Stratford Farmers' Co-op, Stores. Foster, bootmaker. The fire brigade wete fighting hard to save these and the rest of the street, which is built on railway leases, and is therefore deficient in brick walls and substantial fire-resisting buildings, when our correspondent rang up at 1.30 ajn. THE CONFLAGRATION STAYED. SMART WORK BY FIRE BRIGADE. Stratford, Later. Foster's building has. been saved, thanks to the splendid work of the fire brigade and the fact of the wind changing its direction, and with it the rest of the side of the street. The origin is a mystery. It broke out in Sheehan's tobacconist shop. Sheehan, who is a returned soldier, is away at Rotorua. Dr. Steven passed the place ac five minutes to twelve, when everything was all right. At micinight the flames burst forth. The fire brigade, under Captain Grubb, have made a name for themselves. Without their skill and energy the rest of the street must have been reduced to ashes.