DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN WANGANUI

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 128, 1 August 1868, Page 6

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN WANGANUI

The Wanganui Times of July 23rd says : At one o’clock this morning the new Presbyterian Church, which was in course of erection and nearly completed was observed to be on fire. The wind blew then stiffly from the N.W. and in a few minutes the splendid building was enveloped in flames. Slightly to the N.W. and rear of the doomed building stood the old church which had been shifted to that position to make room for the new building, and was being used for the Sabbath School, weekly prayer meetings, and had in it a choice collection of books, just received to form a congregational and Sabbath School library. Directly the large new building was in flames the lire extended to the old one, and within two hours both were burnt to the ground. Meantime the flames swept across Victoria Avenue and caught Mr. Churton’s two houses, the one occupied by Mr. Rawson, dentist, and the other by Mi. Flyger. Some articles of furniture, Ac., were saved from each, but both were shortly burnt to to the ground. The dwelling-house of Edward Lewis, Esq., only separated by a right of way from that of Mr. Flyer, was several times on fire, but by the persevering exertions of the Fire Brigade and others, it was almost miraculously saved. Had it gone, other buildings must have followed, and great praise is due to those wno saved it. The new Presbyterian Church, now reduced to a heap of cinders, should have been completed, according to contract, on the 21st April. Since then the contractor and Building Committee have had serious disagreements. The night before the fire the Committee met to consider a proposition made by the contractor, and did not entirely agree with it. The contractor had insured the building for .£I,OOO. The act was evidently that of incendiary, whoever he may be. Time may clear the mystery.