DISASTROUS FIRE AT KOHUKOHU

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3288, 6 March 1926, Page 9

DISASTROUS FIRE AT KOHUKOHU

Seven Buildings Totally Demolished

WOMEN SALVAGE LIBRARY BOOKS [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND. Last Night. A disastrous fire resulting in the total demolition of seven buildings, near the waterfront, occurred at Kohukohu, on Hokianga harbour late last night. The fire, which burned for hours,. destroyed a section of telegraph and 1 telephone lines, and although the vice was partly restored this afternoon great difficulty was experienced last evening in communicating with Kohukohu, which is over 150 miles from Auckland. Prom meagre information available it was gathered that the fire broke out eleven o’clock, last night, presumably in the premises of Messrs. Coopo? and Son, storekeepers. No Water or Brigade. Although the night was very calm the fire blazed with great vigour, and spread at an amazing rate. The town does not possess a water reticulation service, and there is no fire -brigade, but residents turned out in full force and a bucket brigade was organised, water being obtained from the harbour nearby .and poured on the blazing buildings. , The Tally. This, however, had little effect on the fire, which, in turn, destroyed the Bank of New South Wales premises, the Public Library, Courthouse, Mrs, Shelford’s tea and dinnlng-rooms, an old hall used as a sample room, and a back building. The lire burned for several hours and threatened to make a clean sweep of that portion of the town. Fortunately, a vacant section between the tea-rooms and the N4Hh Auckland Farmers' Co-op. Coy.’s brick building arrested the lire at about three o’clock this morning and in an hour it had! about burned itself out. Women to Rescue. Most of the owners and ocoupieni of the buildings destroyed were heavy losers, although some of the contents were saved. A quantity of books and other effects were saved from the bank buildings, and some of tfib furniture from the tea-rooms was removed before the flames bad taken a strong hold, but from what could be gathered over the telephone last evening not , much of the stock in Cooper’s store was salvaged. It is also understood that nothing was saved from the Courthouse. While men were fighting the fire, and removing as much of the con*"* tents from the buildings as possible, women formed themselves into a salvage brigade and saved the entire collection of books from the library buildings. The Courthouse is a very old buildin, erected in the days when Kohukohu was a busy centre of the timber industry, but it is stated to be practically abandoned, as most of the Count work of the district is now carried . out at Rawene. The sample room was formerly the Masonic Hall. The fire worked from south to north, and early In the conflagration, three telegraph poles on the former side were burned through, bringing down all the wires, all communication with southern points thus being cut off, and it was not until almost noon to-day that the service was sufficiently restored to communicate with Kalkohe. Sawmill In Danger. Grave fears were entertained, at Sne stage during the night, that a largo sawmill close to the scene of the fire Would be destroyed, but this was saved 'argely as the result Of the efforts of voluunteer flre-flghters. No estimate of the extent bf the damage was available this evening, but it was stated that most of the risk was held in the New Zealand Insurance Company. Bon Camaraderie. The Bank of New South Wales resumed business this morning, in a building placed at the disposal of the manager by the branch pf the Bank of NeW Zealand.