PIPIRIKI HOUSE BURNT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 454, 12 March 1909, Page 6

PIPIRIKI HOUSE BURNT.

ESTIMATED.LOSS, £6000. REBUILDING DECIDED ON. [B* TELEGRAPH—riIESS ASSOCIATIONS , Wanganui, March 11. Pipiriki Houso, the well-known tourist hostelry, owned by Hatrick and Co., at Pipiriki, was burned to the ground last night. Only scanty particulars are available so far. The fire is believed .to have started'in. tho' kitchen, and it had a good hold before it was discovered. The building was of wood, and was soon a mass of flamos. Fortunately it was an "off" , tourist night, a'nd very few people were in tho house. There will bo no inconvemenco to tourists, as arrangements havo hetn made for passengers to Taumarunui staying on the houseboat. Pipiriki House contained about 100 rooms, and was a comparatively new. building, It will at once be rebuilt.

Tho insuralices.werq;— £47oo, on .the building, and £1300 on the contents, £700 of which was in the Law Union, and the balance in the Royal Exchange, who were reinsured with the South British, Victoria, Sun, New' Zealand, United; and Ocean. The loss is estimated to be £0000 abovo insurance. ' Palace in tho Wilderness. Pipiriki Houso, which occupied a superb position on a bold bluff overlooking the Wanganui River, seemed a very palace in the.wilderness after tho long solitudes of tho river route, where for miles tho only signs of human occupation are a few small, squalid Native villages. Tho' house, which was of two stories, was capable of accommodating 300 people, and was fitted with every modern convenience. All the rooms were electrically lighted, power for the special plant being obtained from a waterfall behind tho house. Tho main dining-room seated 120 guests, andthe upper promenade commanded a fine view of the river and surrounding hills and bush. It was practically rebuilt live or six years ago by Messrs. A. Hatrick and (Jo., wiio control tho steamer service, and who Jiad previously purchased tho private houso on the site. Messrs. Hatrick and Co. installed tho electrical service. Plans for the Future. ■ A telegram received by the Tourist-De-partment from Mr. Hatrick states that till Pipiriki House is rebuilt, "down" passengers from Taumarunui will spend the night at , the houseboat, half .way between Taumaru-. nui and Pipiriki. For. this purpose they will

leave Taumarunui at 9 a.m., instead of X a.m., and complete their journey from the houseboat to Wanganui in one day. Passengers going from -Wanganui up the rivci' will find ample accommodation at Pipiriki ni an establishment under other ownership, which is well spoken of. At this season thoro is a service up the river on throe dayt of the week, and a down service on two days. It is stated that the bonthouso between Taumarunui and Pipiriki is quite large enough lo accommodate all the passengers who can arrive by steamer, and a proportion of travellers have always been in tho habit of staying there.