WANGALOA.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXI, Issue 1041, 6 July 1894, Page 6

WANGALOA.

I {From Our Own Couresl'Oxdknt.) A fire occurred here on Friday last, by which the dwelling-house of Mr Lawrence w;ir completely destroyed. About halfpast 2 in the afternoon smoke was seen cominc out at the roof of the house alongside of the bedroom chimney. Mr Lawrence was the only one about at the time, Mrs Lawrence being away visiting a. ' neighbour. As soon .is Mr Lawrence [ saw the smoke he at onco gave the alarm to hi? son David, who was working in an adjoining paddock, but before he could I reach the house the fire had got such a strong hold that he could do little or nothing towards saving anything. All the neighbours ran to give assistance, but they were too late ; the h're had got too ! strony a hold and they could do nothing. The house, T believe, is insured in the National Office, but to what amount I cannot tell. There was no insurance on the furniture, and, what malces matters wcrse, they saved nothing but what they stood in — all their valuable documents \ and jewellery being lost. Mr John Law- , rence lost his watch, valued at L 9, and j L 3 in notes th.it he had in his pocketbook. The fire was caused b} r a defective part in the bedroom chimney, and was purely accidental. Much sympathy is felt for the Messrs Lawrence throughout the district in their heavy loss. Our roads are in a deplorable state at the presotit time — mud and skish everywhere you like to go. [t astonishes m« more than anything that the school committee don't try to have the holidays in the winter months instead of in the summer, seeing that some of the children have such a long road to come to school, and a very bad one at that, especially at this time of the year. A month or six weeks' holidays just now would be very acceptable to the children. I notice the church committee has got. some of the timber on tho ground for fencing in the new church here. I hear that tenders are snwi to be called fur the work. It is time that something was done towards improving the approach into the church ofl the main read ; it is in a very bad state at. the present time. Rome wa3 not built, all in a day. however, and it will take some time before every little nick-nack can In- accomplished. Considering the bad weather we havu had lately for Hie she-op on turnips they appear to be doing very well, and so fains I have heard there are very few deaths.