FIRE IN HOKOWHITU.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 9186, Issue 9186, 9 April 1910, Page 5

FIRE IN HOKOWHITU.

HISTORIC HOUSE DESTROYED,

Another alarm of fire got on Palmerston's nerves last night at about 10.15, tjie outbreak this time being in the house so well-known to residents of this district as "Snow's." It recently changed hands, Mr F. P. Snow having sold to Mr Hildus Borgersen, who was having the residence renovated at the time of tho outbreak.

The Brigade turned out promptly, and made its way to the scene of the outbreak, but the borough water supply has not yet penetrated so far into Hokowhitu, and there was no water main near enough to connect a lead of hose. The Brigade were thus practically powerless, and Supt. Warner wisely decided to return the majority of his men to town in case of further untoward happenings and only retain seven to watch the flames and do what little they could as a bucket brigade. A garden pump wae brought into requisition, but it produced only a tiny jet of water, while all the adjacent tanks and water receptacles were emptied on the flames per medium of the bucket brigade, but they had no visible effect, and the flames worked their own will till everything was destroyed. It will be remembered that the house has had an historic and stormy career. Not long since it was situated close to the banks of the Manawatu river, but that erratic watercourse gradually swept away the intervening land till half of the house was left hanging over the river bank. It was the subject of much comment, and photographs appeared in many journals, while a pamphlet on the evils of , deforestation used the unfortunate state of the building as an example of the ruin that follows the indiscriminate destruction of the forests. The building was then shifted back into the centre of I

the section, a safe distance from the river, and after being renovated was occupied by the owner. Three months ago the property was sold by Mr Snow, and quite recently he left Palmerston to take up hie residence in'' tho South Island. Since the house was unoccupied Mr Bcrgersen has had some further improvements effected, costing between £40 and £50. Fate's irony is again exemplified in the destruction by fire of a building which for so many years was in peril of and had just escaped destruction by floods. The insurance on the building was £400, held by the New Zealand office. No cause is assigned for the outbreak.