HOME DESTROYED.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 October 1922, Page 5

HOME DESTROYED.

FIRE AT NEW PLYMOUTH. EARLY MORNING BLAZE. INMATES’ HURRIED ESCAPE. A fire involving the destruction of a six-roomed house, in Shortland Street (off the Carrington Road), occupied by Mr. F. H. Washboume and family, occurred early this morning. Few definite details could be obtained, but it appeared that the house was completely gutted and no furniture could be saved. The fire bell gave the alarm a few minutes before two o clock, and when the brigade arrived the house was burning fiercely. A strong wind was blowing in from the sea, and this assisted the flames to spread over the etructure rapidly. It was a one storey wooden house of six rooms, and having been built a good number of years ago, it was rapidly consumed by the fire. The occupants—Mr. and Mrs. Waihbourne and their two children—were asleep when the fire was discovered, and they had to make a hurried escape, not having time to gather more than a few clothes. Mr. Washbourne ran to the nearest house (that of Mr. Eliot King) and there got in touch with tho brigade, while Mr. King was able to givfl welcome shelter to the distressed fam* fly-

The firemen were soon attacking thd outbreak, hut some difficulty was ex-«

perienced with the water supply. Thd plug at the corner of Shortland Street) and Carrington Road could not be dis-* covered for some time, and in the mean- 1 time the only water supply was from a plug in Shortland Street.

By half-past two the roof had collapied and the house was only a blazing shell, while the outhouses had also caught and were quickly ablaze. The destruction, of the home was complete, and, as far na could be ascertained, no furniture was saved.