TE AWAMUTU.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 345, 20 December 1864, Page 5

TE AWAMUTU.

fritOM OUR OWN COItIIESrONDEST.] Camp, 13tli December, 1304. The whole garrison hero was last night- alarmed by a loud cry of lire, tho buglers of tho several guards sounding the "alarm and assembly." It was about half-past ten o'clock. As a matter of course, the men of the various corps turned out. After a few moments, when tho excitement consequent upon so sudden an alarm liad subsided, it was tound that the barrack room occupied by Lieutenant Kails' troop of mounted artillery had taken fire, together with a small store house attached to Jt. Such an occurrence in this part ot' the country is very unusual, this being only the second instance known of a disaster of "the 'kind. But tllough such misfortune is very infrequent, its danger is greatly magnified by tho great number of whnres and wooden structures that have been recently erected, and which aro becoming every day closer. "\\e believe that a good deal of valuable property has been destroyed by this catastrophe, such as swords, revolvers, clothes, &c. As the men were in bed at the lime, it is exceedingly fortunate that no loss of life resulted from this untoward accident. There have however been some personal losses that will be severely felt. It is known that some of the men were ot considerable savings, some of them of sums to tl»e amount ot from thirty to forty pounds. This money, which was represented bv bank notes, is, we fu.ir, irreparably lost, unless soine record of the numbers may have bceu kept. There was a very light breeze at tlio time, had it been otherwise, the consrquences must have been very serious, for there was a very large wooden building within a few yards, and tho artillery stables were almost contiguous. ITowevor, there was a vorv large bodv of men of the 40th Regiment and of the Engineers soon on tho spot, by whose united e(f>rts the firo was got under, and a considerable quantity of ammunition, saddles, rifles, bedding, swords," &c., kc., were saved from destruction. Tho cause of the fire is not yet known, but an" official enquiry will no doubt be made. There is no sign of any Natives although there are many rumours as to their intentions and whereabouts. Tlio men still muster under arms in the mornings.