DISASTROUS FIRE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 56, 5 August 1885, Page 3

DISASTROUS FIRE.

One or the most extensive and destructive fires which has ever taken place in Palmerston occurred last night when the Town Hall was totally destroyed, being completely gutted throughout. The building included the Borough Council Chamber, Road Board Office Public Hall on the ground floor and the Free Public Library upstairs. Nothing beyond a few books and papers was got out of the Borough Council room and the safe from the Road Board Office. The fire was first, we believe, observed by Mr Hannah, of the Bank of New Zealand, who was conversing with Dr Macintire at about 10.45 in one of the rooms in the bank, and hearing a peculiar noise Mr Hannah proceeded to the window and at once observed the flames just beginning to issue trom the back part of the hall. Dr Macintire promptly hurried to the fire-bell and succeeded in getting a few notes out when this elaborate construction refused to peal further. Before the brigade arrived on the scene the whole of the back of the hall was gutted and the on-lookers were waiting for the final crash. Every possible means was taken to prevent the spread of the fire either to the Bank of New Zealand on the opposite of the road, or to Mr Walton's Drapery Warehouse on the adjoining section to the Hall. The brigade ladder was fixed against the latter building and a continual stream of water was kept thrown on with a sup ply passed upwards in buckets, a number of which had been procured from the Club Hotel. The Bank of New Zealand was also kept moist, plenty of willing hands giving valuable assistance by syringing the building and placing wet blankets on the part facing the fire. The origin of the fire seems to be a mystery, and the flames being first observed coming from the rear of the hall and not from any of the public offices renders the affair still more curious. The Clerk of the Council was at Mr Waldegrave's house, the Clerk of the Road Board was at a meeting of the Foresters, and we believe the lights in the library were extinguished by Keeler at the usual time, 11 o'clock. On making further inquiries we find that almost all the books in the Borough Council office were rescued and the safe which remained in the fire was proof against the heat, everything inside being found this morning in an excellent state of preservation. The insurance on the building, we are informed, is £1000 in the New Zealand, and on the library £100 in the same office. Everything but the few books which were in the safe in the Road Board office were destroyed. A most valuable book consumed in last night's fire was one presented to the library by a brother of Mr Snelson. The composition was "Guthrie's History of England" in three volumes, supposed to be the only copy of the work in the Southern Hemisphere. The book we are informed formerly belonged to Earl Ferners who was hung at Tigburn for the murder of his own coachman. It was with a pistol and a sword accepted by an ancestor of Mr Snelson in payment of a debt and by a strange coinfeidence both these articles like the history perished in a fire which took place in Palmerston some few years ago.