BURNING OF THE KAIKORA SCHOOL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3097, 1 June 1881, Page 3

BURNING OF THE KAIKORA SCHOOL.

At about ten o'clock last night Mr Thompson, the headmaster of the Kaikora district school, was sitting in the parlor of his residence, situated about sixty yards from the school building, when he was alarmed by a cry ot " fire." He went out in company with Mr Jones, who also lives in the schoolmaster's residence, and saw that tbe old school building was in flames. They ran at once to the spot, and entered the new schoolroom, from which they tried to pass into the old school-room, wbere books and records were kept, the personal property of Mr Thompson. The flames, however, had such a hold on the building, and the heat was so intense, that nothing could be saved from that part of the premises. In the meantime the neighbors arrived and worked hard to save the school furniture from the new schoolroom, which was now doomed to destruction. Efforts were then directed to save the teacher's houpe, the roof of which was partially ignited on more than one occasion. By the help of plenty of water, and the able assistance of Messrs Petheric, Wroth, and Mansfield, this was accomplished. In an hour and a half the school buildings were a heap of blazing embers. The Kaikora school consisted of the old schoolroom en the Te Aute-Waipawa road, and to this building, about twelve months ago, had been added a handsome and commodious room on the most approved principle. Mr Thompson was appointed to the school in 1878. There was at that time only an attendance of pupils averaging twenty-three in number, but at the present time the school attendance averages eighty. The destruction of the building will be a severe 105.3 to the district, while Mr Thompson loses what to him is most valuable property in the shape of books, records of study, &c, that cannot be replaced. The origin of the fire is unknown. The building was insured in the South British office for £400, bat the whole of the Board's schools' insurances are divided between the fourteen offices composing tbe Napier Insurance Association.