Full Particulars.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4735, 1 June 1894, Page 2

Full Particulars.

(From Our Own Correspondent). Shortly after half-past three the inmates of the Club Hotel wore aroused from their slumbers, by the cries of "Fire! Fire!" this time it proved to he tho hotel itself, It scenis that a MrGazby, who was Bleeping over the commercial-room, was awakened by the flashes of light on his window, and on looking out ho saw smoke and flames issuing from the room beneath. , Ho immediately gave tho alarm, and in a very few seconds Mr Searl, l tho proprietor of the hotel, came i across from tho cottage ovor the road, , where he, his family, and female . servants sleep, Thoy found the . curtains of tho windows all in flames. j Tho door was burst open and a I oouplo of buckets of water were i thrown on tho flames almost ostinJ guishing them, but as the water bad ; to be carried right in from tho well at tho back the flames got a good ; hold again, and those who wero try--1 ingto extinguish the fire, had to j retire, and save what they could ' from the other parts of the house, s They managed to save a piano, an ) organ, and part of the drawing-room suite, but their time was vory limited, as in an incredibly short space of ( time the building was quo mass of a flames, for an enormous draught was 1 created when the doors were opened, s owing to' a slight son'-woster blowa iug at the time. At one time it . seemed impossible to save Gilpin's j storo, and it was only through a steady' application of water and the s free use of axes to some outbuildings, i that saved it, ! All Mr Searl's horses and vehicles f wero got out, as woll as a large supply |f of oats and chaff, but the outhouses : wont. 0 Great excitement was caused at s one period by tho wliinos of a big St, i Bernard dog, which was imprisoned i inoneof the outbuildings, but several • good blows from an axo upon tho side of the structure soou mado an i exit for the bowildered animal, It i seems a regular dispensation of r Providence that everything about. ? was so wet, and that tho wind was j blowing from the south-east, other- , wise there would have been a fearful 1 calamity to record. t Mr Searl states that the firo mnnt d have been tho work of an iucondiary as he locked the commercial room in s which the firo started, last night t about eleven, and thero was no lire • then. Tho fire started over by the i window curtains and lie noticed that ■ one of the windows was afew inches j 1 open when he arrived on tho sceue. : _ Ho had to burst open tho door, If ' tho work was that of incendiarism it jj was planned woll, for tho hotel was ! siluatedattlie junction of two streets, J viz,, Fitzherbert and Yilos streots. , Tho lire started at tho angle of the 3 house at the window next tho bar,so B the wind which was blowing right s upon that part of the house, did its • work successfully; jj Mr Searl of course is a heavy loser. In the safo,"which was in the B bar, and which it is hoped has fallen , i»to tho cellar, thero was £2O 5 odd in cash and cheques. A keg of , whiskey which was in only afew i days, and had cost over £4B was also e destroyed. In ono of the outhouses I burnt, there was a ton of potatoes, ' and after the danger of the fire spreading, the spectators were to bo : seen eating baked potatoes with - much gusto. t The main building and stablos | were insured in the Phoenix Office 1 for £llOO, they being tho property jj ofMnU Caselberg, of Masterton. The furniture and stock was insured I in the Commercial Union for £750, these being the figures as given by j Mr Searl who states that, had they i, had a few more buckets of water at 1 tho commencement, the firo could I have been stopped. Alljtho boarders ■, had only time to get into their 1 clothes and escape, so quickly did I the lire travel, As usual thorn wore 6 plenty of volunteers whenever there ■ was any great need, but fortunately | the fire blew clear of everything. r ~ —.■