FIRE AT WAIHOLA.

Bruce Herald, Volume III, Issue 72, 24 August 1865, Page 4

FIRE AT WAIHOLA.

(From our Special Reporter.) Intelligence reached Tokomairiro early on Tuesday morning last of the total destruction by fire of Faulkner's Waihola Hotel and Store, situated about a mile to the southward of "the Waihola' Township: On receipt of this unwelcome information affecting so old and respected a resident in this district, we at once; despatched • " Our Special Reporter" to the spot, who has furnished us with the following accouut of the disaster. .On Monday morning last . Mr. Charles Faulkner, proceeded to Dunedin. His two sons, who were left in of the hotel, retired to rest at eleven o'clock the' same evening, a farm servant and a female domestic, who also slept upon the premises, had previously gone to bed. About four _o'clock the sons were awakened by the crackling of fire, and found that it had already taken firm hold of the building, leaving them barely sufficient time to secure their wearing apparel of the previous day Two boxes of books and clothing were all that was saved from the main building, but as the kitchen formed a detached wattle erection in the rear of the hotel, they wene enabled to save the greater part of the furniture and utensils therefrom, as the fire had not reached it when several neighbours arrived. Shortly after waking, their attention was directed to the upper storey by the cries for help from the farm servant who slept there, who, on finding himself surrounded by the fiery element, and egress by the staircase impossible, at once threw his clothing out of the window, and in order to escape the overpowering influence of the smoke, suspended himself from the window at a height of fifteen feet, fearing ife relinquish his hold as several saws and other edge tools were kept below, upon which, he would probably have fallen. While in this uncomfortable position he thought of some valuables that were left behind, and endeavored in vain to regain the apartment. He was at last rescued from his hanging position by a ladder brought from the adjoining stable ; his watch- was after-, wards found among the ruins, the hands pointing to the hour of 4.10 ; he also lost his purse,- containing twenty-four shillings. Mr. Faulkner, jun., lost his purse also, in which was Ll2. Fortunately the night was calm ; otherwise the wind might have carried the devouring element to the stables and bam adjoining, the latter being full of grain. No explanation can be given as to the origin of the fire, but as the only fireplace in use on the previous evening was that in the room leading into the store, no doubt it must have spread in some way accidentally from its fading embers.. , . The building was insured for L6OO m the office of the Otago Fire Insurance Company, Messrs. Hibbard and Co., agents, who early visited the scene, and placed the ruins for a time under charge of the police. Mr Faulkner reached the scene of his loss on Tuesday evening, and calculates that the hotel and store, with the stock, &c, destroyed, have altogether cost . over LI, 200, although no doubt this amount exceeded its market value previous to the fire. An inquest was held yesterday, before the Coroner, J. Dewe, Esq., and a jury, but after a careful investigation a verdict was returned to the effect that the building had been destroyed by fire,' but that there was no evidence to show how the fire originated.