OHINGAITI HOTEL DESTROYED BY FIRE

Wanganui Chronicle, 5 October 1946, Page 4

OHINGAITI HOTEL DESTROYED BY FIRE

MAIN BUILDING TOTAL LOSS LACK OF WATER HAMPERED | FIRE BRIGADESMEN (0.C.) Huiiterville, Oct. 4. | The Royal Hotel, Ohingaiti, was’ totally destroyed by fire shortly after ( 5 o’clock this morning. It was a two-! storey wooden building of 30 rooms, i anti was erected 57 years ago. The ! former Ohingaiti Ha l, next door, I which was transformed into a garage, some years ago, was also destroyed, | only one outbuilding being saved as [ lhe result of the efforts of the Hun:ervil!e Fire Brigade and other help-1 era. The fire, which .started in the rear, of th? building, had a good hold when i lhe licensee, Mr. A. W. Knight, was awakened by the noise of falling lim- j ber. There were several boarders in ! lhe house, whom he aroused, and were I able to escape only in t.hcir night at-i Si't*. When the alarm was received i in Hunlerville, about, 5.10 a.m., the red <ilow in the sky indicated that th? ■ building was well ab’azc . The fire | engine, with the new trailer pump be-, hind, was rushed to the scene, HI miles away, but. with no waler available, nothing could be done to save the main building, and lhe brigade and | local residents concentrated upon sav-< ing an outbuilding, which was laterset up as a temporary bar Some of the contents of one room on the ground floor were saved, but the remainder was a total loss. The buildin" was owned by Mr. David Lindray. of Hamilton, and al-