MAIL BURNED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22240, 15 October 1935, Page 8

MAIL BURNED

BOARDING HOUSE

POST OFFICE DESTROYED *

TELEPHONES DISORGANISED J

TWO IN NIGHT *

[by telegraph—own correspondent!tijl DAROAVILLE. Monday U A fire in the early hours of yestepfl day morning destroyed the Pukehuia boarding house, in which were housed the Post Offi'-e and the exchange and tho telephone MN I vice in the district/ was dislocated >• Pukehuia is 14 miles from Da r gar ill®'• The boarding house was a wocdeir building of about 20 rooms and wa»l owned by the Emily Smith Estate. It was conducted by Mr. Alan Ciotworthy At the time of the outbreak Mr. Clot*" worthy was in Whangarei, where hg~ had gone to bring home Mrs. Clot, worthy, who had been ill in Whangareil Mr. George CJotworthy, Miss Fred# Ciotworthy and an employee, Mr. Tito« were the only occupants of the home for the week-end. jsjf

On Saturday night Miss Ciotworthy was awakened by the sound of fire and quickly roused the two men. By usingthe water in the tanks they were abltf, to get the outbreak under control;* While Mr. Ciotworthy was on the tank' stand filling the buckets the kitchen" chimney collapsed on the roof alongside' him. The seat of the outbreak was in the vicinity of the kitchen. When Mr, Ciotworthy and Mr. Tito were satiili 1 fied that the outbreak had besn sot dued, they retired to bed. S All Equipment Lost

Later Mr. Clotworthy was awakened by the roar of flames. This time the fin had a very strong hold and was sweep, ing through the top of the building. The heat was so intense that it was inw possible to do anything to control the outbreak. The occupants were only able to save a few articles from the front of the building. The building was insured with the Sua Office for £BOO. " The post office, of which Miss Clot-' worthy was in charge, was in the main building and all equipment with the exception of official papers sand docoments, which were locked in the safe, was destroyed. The safe was opened u soon as possible and it was found that the records though charred were recog. nisable. A quantity of letters and new* papers on the post office premises were destroyed. Transferring the System As the telephones of a number of 1

Transferring the System As the telephones of a number of Pukehuia subscribers were linked to the Dargaville exchange through the switchboard at the office communication wu broken. Post and Telegraph Department employees commenced work this morning transferring the system to a temporary office at Twomev's store, but the • service had not been restored at a hour to-day. Situated near the Waiotira-Tango-wahine railway line the boarding house had a commanding view and for many years was the centre oi all activities in the district. At one time several hundred men were quartered at Pukehuii in married and single men's huts, andl the boarding house- was then a very busy place as it not only provided board; to the limit of the accommodation but an extensive business was done in pre viding meals for the workers.

FARMHOUSE BURNED * PRACTICALLY NOTHING SAVED ■ [by TELEGRAPH —OWN cobbespokdest]; WHAKATANE, Mondir A four-roomod farmhouse on HillRoad, Awakeri, owned and occupied by Mr. Norman McGougan, was destroyed by fire on Saturday morning. Thtt flames spread too rapidly to permit of anything except a few articles beias; saved. The family was in a shed soro# distance away when the fire was discovered. The house was insured fof £250 with the Standard office.