FIRE AT CLAUDELANDS. Mr F. A. Whitaker's Residence Burned Down.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2222, 5 October 1886, Page 2

FIRE AT CLAUDELANDS. Mr F. A. Whitaker's Residence Burned Down.

At about three o'clock on Sunday afternoon the residence of Mr F. A. Whitaker, Claudelands, Hamilton, was destroyed by fire. It is supposed that a spark from the kitchen chimney wai blown under the dry shingles on the roof of the smoking room, as that apartment was observed to be first on fire. Mrs Whitaker, with her servant and the children wore out in the grounds in front of the house at the time, and their attention was attracted by seeing smoke ascending through tho roof. Mrs Whitaker at once ran to the house, and proceeded to the smoking room, where Mr Whitaker's private papers, &c, were kept, but it was full of nmoka and she returned. Meantime tho servant had cooeyed for assistance. Fortunately, it being a fine afternoon, a good many people were about, and plenty of willing helpers were soon available. Mr J, R. Handyside was inside his house, 11 the Cottage," immediately opposite, when lit heard tho cries, and ran out with his man, Mr Geo. Wilson, and saw the houno on fir©. Th© Uttor looked in the smokingroom window and saw the partition wall between that room and the drawing-room on fire along the chimney above the fireplace. The fire hud got a good hold, and must have been smouldering for some time before it broke out into flames, as the alarm waa given apparently bofore actual fl.unes had broken out. Wilson attempted to put out the fire, but soon desisted, seeine: tho impossibility, and joined Mr Handyside who, judging this before, had gone for the furniture. The impossibility of checking the fire is confirmed by all of the first arrivals. Messrs Mason, Olive, Warr, and Davis were immediately after on the scene, and were soon followed by a party from the West side, consisting of Messrs W. Odium, Donald Mclntyre, W. Daris, J. Donaldson, C. Guird and W. Sergeant, who were sitting by the railway bridge when tho first named gentleman observing the smoke remarked that Mr Whitakers house was on fire. The rest at first suggested that it was only a chimney fire, but the smoke getting denser they started to run across, and had hardly got half way when tho fUmes broke through the roof. On arrival, closely followed by Mr C. Beale, they joined the salvage party. Wo are happy to say that they succeeded in saving the furniture from the drawing room and two other front rooms, and most of the things from tho kitchen and the bedroom at the back. Two bedsteads were however burned and many other small pieces of furniture. All this time the fire was dropping from tho coiling: in fact the mat under the piano, the first thing removed, was then burning and tha piano scorched, and a couch near it had to be drenched with water after removal. When the inon attempted to enter the smoking-room they found it impossible to do so ; a box was rolled out full of charred and half.charred papers, and a couple of others were recovered by Mr R. F. Handet when the fire had burned down. Almost all the papers were, however, burned, as well as a large collection of valuable book*. Mr Wilson was burned on the cheek. From the position of the fire when fir«t observed by WiUon through the smokingroom window and from the fact th*t the partition wall between it and the Btnokingroora was on fire on the arrival of Odium and party it is supposed, that the fire, as we have stated, arose from sparks falling on the shingles of the smoking-room. No fire had been lighted in the drawing-room for a fortnight. Tho house, which contained ten or twelve rooms, was formerly occupied by Mr F. R. Claude, and was the homsstead before the farm was cut up. It passed into Mr Whitaker's hands together with some ten acres ot land surrounding when the Claudeland* townihiu was sold, and has been the residence of the latter gentleman ever since. The coach house, stable and other outbuildings some little distance from the residence were not affected by the tire. Mr Whitaker was in A«<sklan.d at the time of the ooourrenoe, having gone to town on Thursday last. He returned to Hamilton yesterday. The insurances were £350 on the building, and a like sum on the furniture, £150 on the plate, £35 on the piano, £115 on the stable, &c-, all in the Colonial of&ce.