Page 40 - KBHA Bulletin 16

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By 1904 peace was restored when the cottages were demolished and plans passed for

a splendid addition to Kalk Bay on Windsor Road. The building that went up stood
where the Olympia Building is now. (Figs. 2.8 & 2.9.) It is interesting to see the living

arrangements in a large boarding house of the time. On the first floor there are ten
bedrooms, a dining room, kitchen, sitting room and a single bathroom – no toilet. The

ground floor had shops on the Main Road and five sitting rooms. (Figs. 2.10 & 2.11.)
So in total there were ten bedrooms and six sitting rooms. Also of interest are the ten

‘ECs’ in the back yard. When the Municipal sewerage system came into operation in

1907 these Earth Closets were no doubt converted to Water Closets.

Emma Kleinschmidt sold the building to the Lazarus Brothers in 1917 and in the same

year the 12 - year old building burned to the ground. The damage amounted to an
estimated £4,000. The reports in the Cape Times and the Mayor’s Minute refer:

The Cape Times, 3 June 1917.

Buildings at Kalk Bay completely gutted

The Harbour Building consisting of five lock up general dealers and a café with an
upper floor of residential apartments for seaside visitors was completely destroyed in
an explosion and fire last night. Mrs. Kleinschmidt and Mrs. Clarke and her two
children were the only occupants. Fire engines took 32 minutes to get there and the
water supply to the canvas dam was so poor that hose pumps had to be stopped every
few minutes for the dam to fill.
The fire was believed to have started when petrol leaked into one of the shops from
a store at the back. The building was insured as were the contents of only one of the
shops.

Minute of the Mayor of Cape Town, 1917.

st
June 1 , 1917, at 6.39 a.m. In a two-storied block of brick buildings, consisting of six
shops on ground floor, and dwellings above, known as Harbour Buildings, Kalk Bay
(five shops being occupied and one being empty). Fire originated from pertrol stored
in small W.C. at rear of premises in centre of block, extending to the whole building,
which was gutted. From information obtained, it appears a violent explosion occurred,
shattering windows at back of premises, also windows of a two-storied brick dwelling
about 100 feet away. Nine 4-gallon petrol tins and 35 1-gallon petrol tins were found
stored in the small W.C., just outside the premises, roof and wall being shattered by
explosion. Cause of fire: Light in contact with petrol.