Terrible Fire at Waipawa.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1779, 6 January 1886, Page 2

Terrible Fire at Waipawa.

A disastrous fire occurred at Waipawa, Napier, early en Sunday morning, causing the total destruction of seven dwelling-houses and shops, the Empire Hot“l, Post and Telegraph Office, and the Bank of New Zealand. The fire broke out in a tailor’s shop shortly after 4 o'clock, and by 7 o’clock all the buildioge were levelled to the ground. Moet of the in. habitants saved their furniture and most of their effects, although they are all loam. Thera is no donbt the fire could have ban prevented from epreading had then been a Are-engine in town. In addition to thie want, there was a great scarcity ot water, the eeaeoo having been unusually dry. The Bank of Australasia had a narrow escape, and had to be completely emptied in ease of emergency. It was at first expected that the whole (treat, consisting of 18 buildings, most be deatroyed, an 1 had the wind sprang op there is little do übt they wonld have been. It was alto providential that what wind there was blew from the town in the direction of the flsmss. Bind tbla not been so something like 50 dwellings and shops would have been completely destroyed. There is as yst not the stablest elue to the origin ot the fire, bat it is tilltili to hsvs bsso purely mUmM.