SERIOUS FIRE

Hokitika Guardian, 18 April 1932, Page 4

SERIOUS FIRE

COUNTY CHAMBERS GUTTED. MAIN OFFICE UNDAMAGED. The firebell rang out an alarm of fire on Sunday morning at 1.40 o'clock. It was at once seen that the scene of the outbreak was at the County,Chambers, tile meeting house of the Westland County Council in the Government reserve on tile west side of lower Fitzheebert Street. 'I he ahum was given v promptly by the nightwateliman, before ' the flames had broken through the roof. The Fire Brigade arrived very promptly on the scene, the flames then breaking through the western, side of the building, and for a while the po-si- - . tion looked ugly. However, there was a plentiful supply of. water and the flames were, soon got,.under, being , . confined to the meeting.i;ppm. The other portions of the County Offke are separated by .a. small space, and this was not damaged except for smoke that filled it through the connecting passage. The fire which apparently started on the west wall from the outside, then rail up inside the wall to the ceiling and broke through into the large room. The whole room was gutted, and all the contents were burnt or badly charred. The framed photographs that lined the walls, valuable mementoes of old members and of the Seddon Ministry, have all gone except one photo of the late Mr J. Gcimmond, while the large map of Westland, secured after the Christchurch Exhibition which lined one side of the room, hasj also gone, The furniture and other effects have all been destroyed. Luckily tile flames did not get out of the building and sk» the rest of tlm County Offices were not damaged. On the face of it, there can be no doubt that the place was wilfully set on fire. I bo County buildings are insured for £4OO. and the furniture for £IOO in the New Zealand Insurance- Coy. j I hose familiar with the County. Chambers, will remember the collection of photographs in the room. i here was a fine likeness of the late R. J. Seddon, who had been a member of the Westland County Council; also en enlarged photograph of the second Seddon Ministry, which was presented to the Council by Mr T. E. Y. Seddon. In addition there were three 1 groups of past Councils, the first in 1897, the second of 1900, and the third' of the late Jubilee year of the Council—l 927. There were also' photographs of ex-Councillors. One of these alone eßcaped, that of the late Mr Grimmond taken in 1878 on the occasion when ho was elected County Chairman and Mayor of Ro-ss on the same day in his early political career. The familiar “Chair” was also destroyed. This was of historic interest as it was the throne chair of the first Superintendent of Westland, and afterwards . ... used by the Provincial Council, and -> then the present County Council.

A VALUABLE MAP. One of the most serious losses to the community in the fire at the County Chambers, is that of the large wall map showing the location of the economic minerals of Westland. Tnis> map was prepared at considerable expense at the time of the Christchurch Exhibition by the late Mr G. J. Roberts who was then Chief Surveyor, and embodied the surveys and researches of the Westland surveyors, Messrs Mueller, Roberts, Murray, Smvtli and

Wilson and Mr C. E. Douglas, explorer, and many others. The draughting work was executed by Messrs F. Harrop and Pfeifer. When the map was exhibited in the Westland Court at the Christchurch Exhibition it was highly praised by the Commissioners for Canada which country makes n speciality of that class of work. Although the information displayed it still available, it would cost a lot of tme and expense to make another compilation.

Seeing that at the present time a considerable amount of attention is being paid to the revival of mining in the district, there is no doubt that the loss is a very serious one.