Second Edition. GREAT FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 273, 17 November 1902, Page 7

Second Edition. GREAT FIRE.

CONFLAG3ATION AT TAURANGA

GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND BOROUGH OFFICES BURNED.

ALL RECORDS DESTROYED-

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

TAURANGA, this day.

A most disastrous fire occurred here last night shortly before midnight. It was discovered that the Government Buildings, a fine bLck about one hundred and twenty feet long by sixty feet deep, and two storeys high, were on fire, the Jlames breaking out of the centre of the back, where the staircase was situated, and under which was a cupboard used to store kerosene, and sundries. It was evident that with the small appliances available there was no hope of saving the building. There was a gentle southwest breeze blowing, and in a few minutes, before, in fact, half a dozen people were on the spot, the building- was ablaze from end to end. In less than one hour from the discovery the building had totally collapsed. Absolutely nothing was saved. The building contained all the local Government offices, Post and Telegraph, Magistrate's and Native Land Courts, land and survey, stock inspector's, registrar of elector's offices, borough and council chambers, hence all local records of all descriptions were destroyed. Fortunately, no one was sleeping in the building1, and no casualties occurred. The origin of the fire is at present n mystery. The telegraph officials fortunately had a set of spO"" instruments' and batteries stor «» another building, and by eivr ; ~o'-lc opened a temporary office in the Theatre Royal at nine o'clock this morning". It is -a- moot point whether there may not be some hitch in the Bay of Plenty election through the fire, as the Native Land Court, gazetted as the principal polling place, is now a heap of ashes. In the Registrar's safe, just opened, wore found sufficient I'olla undara- i aged to run the election, but all the ballot boxes and many other necessaries were destroyed. This is undoubtedly the greatest disastel" that bus beTnllen the town since the great fire of ISSI. i