The Tologa Bay Fire.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 485, 26 July 1890, Page 2

The Tologa Bay Fire.

THRILLING EXPERIENCES. LADIES AND CHILDREN NARROWLY ESCAPE A DPvEADFUL DEATH. The following additional particulars regarding the fire which destroyed the Sea View Hotel, on the 18th inst., have been supplied to us by Mr L. Steele : —The fire broke out about midnight, in an unoccupied room just opposite to Mr Steele's bedroom. Mrs Steele was the first who was awakened by the strange roaring noise, and she immediately gave the alarm. Mr Steele then ’ rushed to the door to arouse the other inmates, but the flames burst in, and he was compelled to shut the door again. The fire had by this time got a big hold on the house .and nothing could be done towards saving any of the furniture or effects. Steele managed to wake those sleeping in the adjoining rooms, and he then slid down the verandah posts, while Mrs Steele lowered the youngest child safely to the ground. Mrs Steele had also to lower herself down by tho aid of a rope. The children, who were sleeping downstairs, were, with great difficulty got safely out—nearly the whole of the building by this time being in flames. Miss A. Gray appears to have had the most narrow escape of all, for she had to drop about 16ft, without any assistance whatever. Mr Prior, however, managed to catch her before she fell to the ground. All the inmates escaped just in their thin night clothes. Mr Mullooly hold an insurance over the furniture and building for £7OO, but Mr Steele, personally, had not a penny insurance on his effects. He says he has lost everything, including his books. Mr Steele is quite at a loss to account for the fire, as there had been no person in the room that evening. He had only returned from Gisborne at 5 o’clock that afternoon, and retired for the night about four hours later, leaving Mrs Steele to close up the house. A quantity of timber was shipped by the Southern Cross yesterday, so than a temporary building could be erected at once'