ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 23, 28 January 1904, Page 5

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

SHORT WATER SUPPLY. (l!T TFXEORAPn—OWN COnnXSFONDEJT.) PALMERSTON N., This Day. The extent of this morning's fire was entirely duo to tho fact that tho water supply was cut oil owing to the drought and the consequent iucreused use of water in the town. It has been tho practice during tho past two weokjj to closo the outward valve at the reservoir between the hours of 7 p.m. and 4 a.m., a man heing stationed near the Fitzherbert Bridge to open tho valvo when an alarm of fire is given. This morning the supply was turned on immediately the alarm was sounded, but it took half an hour for tho pressure to becomo efficient. Meantime the Brigade was helpless to check the flames. The unanimous opinion is that had tho pressure been efficient within twenty niiuvutes of the alarm, the flames would have been confined to Mr. Hopkin's' billiard room, whore the fire started. In addition to the actual fire losses, hundreds of pounds damage was done to the Royal and Phoenix Hotels, and seveial b'hons and offices on the opposite Hide of Rangitikei-stvcet, also to the offices and business premises on tho opposite side of Cuba-street, which several times burst into flames. Captain Tingcy and Lieutenant Browning, of the Fire Brigade, wero absent at Te Aroha. »