FIRE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2094, 24 February 1920, Page 3

FIRE.

ROWING Cl ATI SI I EDDESTROYED. The Manawaiu Rowing Club's boat shed was lulally destroyed by fire Just after midnight on.Satnrday, The origin of the outbreak is unknown, tail it is surmised ihal somo person or persons had gone in for a night’s shelter,, and had be-n sm»k. ing. / When (ir.-d seen by Mr d. Wyeth the lire had a good hold, and (lie building being an old one, the llames spread very rapidly, tinplace being lot.illy destroyed in a very short spaee.of lime. Fortunately, a! the lime the little wind thai was blowing was across, the river, and a hand, of willing workers did not have any greatditlieiilt v in preventing the liame;*

from spreading to Messrs A. King and. Go's scutching shed nearby. The building and contents, which were also destroyed, were insured for £l5O in the New Zealand Dlliee.

Mr If. AlcKegney had two single sculling boats, valued at about £OO, stored in the building, and these, were also destroyed. They were insured for £25 in the South British. .Mice.

The destruction of'lhe boat shed removes another of Foxton’s old hind murks. A shed was first built, by Ihe Club over forty years ago. hut since then it has been pulled down, added to and re-erected. The. Manawaiu Rowing Club is the oldest Club in the town, having been formed at a meeting held on January 18th, ,1870, and then' had a membership of 27. The first shed was built in 1870. In I lie early days great ini crest was taken in sculling, and the annual regalias held bn the Manawaiu River were von successful. During the first 1 year tin Chib purchased the rigged balswing four, Queen Mab, at a cost: of £2O. and the Foxton Four, A. Howe, John Symons, John and William Collins, with Joe Collins aS coxswain, won the two principal races at the 1870 Foxton regatta, againsl crews from the two Wanganui Clubs. The same crew also competed at the Wanganui regatta, the-same year, and won the champion race there. In 1880 the local Chili purchased the then famous outrigger four-oared, Dolly Warden, in Wellington, for £2O, and the Foxton crew mentioned above, with the exception that there was no coxswain, were successful for several years at the Foxton, Wanganui and Wellington regattas. The Foxton crew at this time was New Zealand’s champions. The old Queen Mali, Dolly Yardcn, am! another four-oared outrigger, “Alamtwatu,’’built at Wellington to the order of the Club in 1880, at a cost of £3O, wore all destroyed in Sunday morning’s lire, together with the pair oared outrigger,' “Duchess,” bought in 1879, and another pairoared boat purchased later,