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Fire at Waratah.
HOTEL AND FOUB BU8OTESS
PLAOES DE8TR0YED.
An alarm of fire was given at Waratah
about 1.80 a.m. yesterday, when it was
found the Waratah Hotel was ablaze. By
the time help arrived the fhmes had got
a hold of the adjoining block and spread
so rapidly that nothing could be done to
save the building?. The premises of the
following were destroyed :— Messrs Bose
(bootmaker), Thome, Ben. (tobaooonist,
batber, eto ), W. Thome (fruiterer), and
H. P. M'Creery (chemist) ; together with
the Bischoff Hojel, where the fire
originated.
Parties of active men at onoe set to
work to stay the flames on the north side
by saturating Biggs' drapery store with
water, a difficult task, but safely
accomplished. That point being seoured
the next Hook was also saved, comprising
the premises of Messrs Wathen,
Turner, Hlingworth aud Quinton. On
tbe south side a fieroer Btruggle was
going on, there being only a few feet
separating the falling hoteVirnn-,Mr 0. 8.
Ooundon's large and hoavily-iWked es
tablishment. Here the battle with the
flames was carried on unremittingly, des
pite the intense heat. A sudden
ohange in the wind to an easterly di
rection gave the fighters the advantage,
whioh they maintained. Again only
a few feet separated Ooundon's from
Mitchell's large hotel, which must have
gone had the neighboring building taken
fire. All unnecessary destruction of pro
perty was avoided by the workers, and
water husbanded to the beBt advantage,
Some alarm was felt for the fate of the
entire street at one period of the struggle:
still there wbb never a panio.
It is needless to add that all the ooou
piera are great losers, praotioally nothing
laving been saved, Mr M'Creery lost un
banked oash amounting to several pounds,
besides his stock in trade, valued at
about £850. Messrs Thome, sen., W.
Thome and Rose saved nothing ; while
the' new licensee of the burnt hotel saved
little indeed. This latter property had
recently passed over to Mr Mitchell at
a prioe much beyond the Btated insurance
risk. The building was insured for £500
and the contents for £150, in the London,
Liverpool and Globe and Commercial
Union officea respectively.
Yesterday the street presented a most
desolate and melancholy appearance. It
is presumed an inquest will be held to
discover if possible the origin, of which
nothing is known at present. Fullest
sympathy is felt for the sofferers.
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