PARLIAMENTRAY BUILDINGS ON FIRE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VII, Issue 1312, 20 May 1886, Page 2

PARLIAMENTRAY BUILDINGS ON FIRE.

HARROW FSCAPE

(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

WELLINGTON, May ID. Information lias just leaked out that the Parliamentary buildings had a narrow escape of destruction from fire on Saturday night. A few minutes before seven that evening a messenger ou duty at the Speaker's private apartments had occasion to enter Sir Maurice O'Rorkc's sittingroom, when lie discovered the wooden mantelpiece to be on fire. He immediately called for assistance, and had one of the hose reels kept on tho premises run out ;md the fire extinguished before nny serious damage was done. Had the fire not been discovered at the moment it was the probability is that the whole building would have been destroyed, including the valuable library, as in five minutes' time the Speaker's apartments would have been locked up. Considering the severity of the gale that was blowing, the terrible results that would have followed are apparent. An examination has since been made, which shows t/iat the fire originated through defective •workmanship, as only half an inch of plaster divided the woodwork from the flamo passing up the chimney. The boarding that the names had. not toadied showed signs of having been charred by fire on previous occasions.