THE KUROW FIRE

Hokitika Guardian, 7 December 1928, Page 3

THE KUROW FIRE

MAIL BAGS STOLEN. OA-MARU, Dec, o. A sensational burglary and fire at luirmv early on Monday morning caused a stir in the country township. Shortly after 2 a.in. an alarm was raised, and portion of the railway station building utilised by the postal authorities was found ablaze. In a short space of time a bucket brigade had boon formed, hut little could be done as the fire had too firm a hold. The flames spread rapidly, and the building was soon demolished. Hard work by the bucket brigade prevented the lire from spreading to lhe goods shed, hut a van and carriage ,-it the platform were badly scorched. Conjecture war. rile as to the cause of the outbreak, but it was not until later in the morning that the allair took a more sensational turn. Over 200 letters were discovered in the river-bed. strewn in all directions. A considerable number had been opened. It is staled that the Public Works Department had lodged a lairly large sum of money at the post oflicc lor the payment of employees engaged on the. hydro-eletrie scheme at. Awakino. hut verification o! this has not been obtained. A detective from Timarii and a constable from Oamarii. are now investigating the affair. Developments are keenly awaited. The (lest ruction of the post office resulted in about seventy telephone subscribers being cut oil', hut mechanics were rushed to Kumw and a temporary switchboard was installed in auo!her building on Tuesday. Arrangements for tile handling of correspondence was also concluded. A temporary building is being erected to house the railway staff until such lime as the station is rebuilt. C!l LOCKS NOT T\KKX. Latest developments at, Kurow reveal (hat in the mail were a number of cheques which were left in flic riverbed with file balance of flu* mail. The Post Office safe is stated to have contained a sum o! about .t 100. but whether this was tampered with is not disclosed. Arrangements for handling mail mailer have now been completed and the erection of a temporary station building is fast approaching completion. Police investigations have revealed mi l race of the burglars hut inquiries are hemg vigorously prosecuted.

mUNIER. PARTICULARS. The officials of the Railways and Postal Dcjia rt nn-nls have made most expeditious arrangements. for the earning on of business:-at Kurow. On Monday morning telephonic communication which was tompurnr.ily suspended was established both'Afforth and west. A temporary building is being erected as a railway station, and the postal work is being carried on in the sample room of the Railway Hotel. The question is now lifting raised as to whether it would-not fie in the public interest to have separate buildings for the post office and railway station. A detective is at present in Kurftw making investigations into the lire. 71 is believed that the post office was enl'*rd by burglars, who supposed dial the office contained the money required 1.0 pay the men on the Awakino Works. Whether they made a haul, has not yet been established. The theory that, a lighted cigarette was dropped into the. Idler box by a motorist who pooled a loiter on Sunday afternoon is discounted by the discovery of opened letters in the rivershed. Some of these letters contained cheques, and from tin fait That these cheques were not appropriated. it is concluded that the burglary was coininiltcd hv experienced men. The sale in the nc.sf" office contained between £3OO and £IOO in cash, toil there is no indication of an af-f-mnpt being made to- gain access to it, The Awakino works have attracted all classes of men in pursuit of work, and the police are aware that dangerous criminals have made their appearance in the distriet. As a rule, however, they do not remain for more than a few days. Air Christensen, lately transferred from Hokitika is Pnsl master at Kurow.