HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 599, 30 August 1909, Page 4

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

. . (From Oar Siieclal UoDortor.) FIRE AT PETONE. Shortly after 7 o'clock on Saturday night an alarm of fire was {riven at Petonc. Tho building in question was a'-two-storied house on. tho Hutt lload, near tho corner of Esplanade Road, and known a-S the Crown Boardinghousc. Tho first signs of tho outbreak wele noticed by Mr. C. A,- Gardiner, and tho Petoho Fit* Brigade, nnder Superintendent (X Leppcr, and the Railway Workshops Brigade were quickly in attendance. It was soon seen' that the firo had a firm hold, and that there was no possibility of saving much of the, building, which, with.the exception of tho outor walls, was totally destroyed. Tho building was very old, and' offered no opposition ( to the-. flames. The placo was originally used ae a boardinghou&e, bot hae been unoccupied for the last seven or eight months.- There werb no tracce of anyone's having been recently about the premise. Tho building wa3 owned by the Railway Department, and it is -stated that there- 'arc no insurances. A second alarm was given at 10.10 p.m. A few pieces of timber had become ignited, but tnis outbreak was quickly suppressed. ■•.";. . - »

PETONE WHARF. ~ Petonc's "switchback" wharf, a-s it was aptly described by Mr; R. Fletcher at a recent ' meeting of tho Wellington Harbour BmA, threaten!! to- eatirc the authorities a good, deal of troublo -before it is placed in that state pf utility that - local residents" anticipated at the timo its ■ construction was undertaken. ' For some days,past a wellsinker has been engaged in ascertaining the actual depth at which'a solid stratum woulu be reached, and he has discovered that be-rtoa-th a deep deposit of ordinary sand a layer of bluish grey.mud runs for a depth of 47 feet; below this again, at a depth of 110 feet from the surface, fiho gravel is encountered. . Tin's is. solid enough for the piles - , but it. is extremely unlikely that the board would drive to that great depth. The Harbour Board will now have to consider what Steps arc to bo taken to give the wharf the necessary: security. ' ■ : •.. JOTTINGS. .'■"•. Mrs. J. M'Caw has been elected president 6f the, Lower Hutt W.C.T.U., in succession to Mrs. AV. A. Ke&y. Mrs. Keay was recently; presented with a token of esteem from her follow members in' the shape of a silver siigar bowl and tongs. Mr. and Mrs. Keay leavo for Sydney on Friday. The first annual meeting of tho Hutt District Cricket Club will be held this -evening. '•-.'. The monthly mooting of- tho Hutt NoLicense League will lie held tlris< evening .'at' Petone. .Tho. llev. 3. J. North will deliver ■au address." ■' . _ '",'■' A Cadi Buyers' Association is being formed iti Pototie. At-this -evening's meeting of the Pctone i Church of England Men's Society the llev. W. G. Ivens, of Melanesia, is to give an address. ■ . ' -,:' ;•