FIRE AT KAMO.

Northern Advocate, 23 July 1923, Page 4

FIRE AT KAMO.

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LIBRARY "BOOKS SAVED. -Xr*'-

Last night tne Kamo Town Hail was totally destroyed by fire. The outbreak was first noticed in the g&bies at one end at about 10.30 p.m.,, although prior to that time lights htul' been siieri in the which led to the con- , elusion thtvt someone was there, although the hall had not been let for any specific purpose.

As ,soon, as it was evident'that" the wooden structure wa? on fire a band' of willing workers rushed to the and a brigade was soon at work removing the books from the public library and also the official books of the .Town Board. Most of the latter were secured, and about half the books from' the library shelves. These were thrown into Mr H. Wilkinson's motor lorry and were taken to safety, whdn the progress of the firo forced the volunteers to abandon further tiff or*. The fact that there is no water. supply forced the residents- of the town to stand by and watch the demolition (if the hall, and also was a factor in deciding Superintendent' C. H. Chissell, when communicated with by telephone, that it was futile to summon the Wh«ngarei Fire Brirjade to go to the scene of the outbreak.

The proprietor of the pictwc-show plant. Mr Copeland, had an insurance of £300 on the machine, which was destroyed. together with a borrowed one.

The insurances were £500 on the hall. £200 ; >on the library stock and £TSO on the pirnid, but the loss will be considerable.

To-day the police made investigations relative to the possible causes of the conflagration.