AN EXTRAORDINARY FIRE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9531, 1 July 1909, Page 5

AN EXTRAORDINARY FIRE.

v ON AN HOTEL PROPERTY * )

A SEK IOUS ACT THE ALLEGED CAUSE. ' '* THROWNINTO THE BD7 LDI NG. At 11.30 o'clock evening c vigorous alarm was sounu e d <Mr (the , central firebell at Master£on> the* cause being an outbreak in a building at the rear of the Prince of Wales Hotel, known as "The and used as a servants' quarters. 'A dance was being held in a room on the ground floor of the building, the female employees at the hotel holding a re-union prior'to separating an account of the hotel closing. It is , stated that a number of lads were outside the building during the evening, and were refused access, for which reason they threw some phosphorus into the fouidlitig, quickly igniting some articles in a room adjacent to where the dancew were. The flames wee noticed immediately, and a young man named o'Donovan at once rushed to extinguish them, as did other men present, Mr O'Donovan, not knowing that phosphorus was the cause of the blaze, caught hold of the burning matter —a hamper—ana got phosphorus ott his hands, and also on his face. Two others also got the dangerous adb* stance on their hands and face, bn Mr O'Donovan received by far th worst injuries, and bis face is very < badly burned. . ' '' The Fire Brigade and Fire Police j were soon on the scene, but Snperin- ,, t tendent Jenkins, on 'learning 1 the facts, decided to quench the flames , with wet sacks, as, although the dense and'pungent smoke was issuing from the building it was caused only by the phosphorus lett on the floor after the burning articles had been removed. Tne fire was, soon suppressed. The building, which contains seven rooms, was therefore not damaged by water at all; and only in a trifling way by fire. . The affair caused a considerable sensation among the dancers, the women being- , greatly alarmed, as they all haul their belongings upstairs. For a few, minutes also it was believed that , someone was left in the building, bat l I this turned out incorrect. j If the fire was caused byja wantonjact { it was a most serious matter,, apart from the fact that' a big fire might i have been caused, the smoke given ' off by burning phosphorus is particn* , larly penetrating and overpowering, [ and suffocation would ensue from ini haling it in a'much quicker time than ! in other cases: " ■ ; ANOTHER INCIPIENT FIRE. % THOUGHT TO BE DUE TO INUENDIARISM.

During last 'night a fire was also discovered in a rubbish box at the rear of the old Technical School, in Dixon Street. The outbreakk was discovered by a resident near by. and suppressed before it had reached a serious stage. But for such a timely discovery a blaze might have ensued embracing at least the old Technical 1 School, and possibly with other ramficationß. It is thought that this fire was the work of an incendiarist.