FIRE AT OKARITO.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 499, 4 May 1869, Page 2

FIRE AT OKARITO.

GEEAT DESTRUCTION OF PEOrEIITY.

Intelligence v/as brought, iu Hot! tika on Friday night by Mr Bell, ol Waitaha, that a fire had broken out ai Okarito on Tuesday last. The following particulars are given by the Wes, Coast Times: —

The fire was first discovered about three o'clock in the morning, at Mrs Dean's Sweeny's Hotel, by Mr Mace and Mr Thomas M'Fettrick. The flames by this time had taken a great hold of the building, and although the whole of the townspeople made every effort to subdue them, their exertions were unavailing. The flames quickly spread to the adjoining buildings, and in a very short space of time three hotels, a butcher's shop, and a bank were on fire.

These continued to burn furiously, notwithstanding the efforts of the people, and at last, to save the rest of the buildings near, a cottage was pulled down, which stopped the further progress of destruction. Had this building not been removed nothing could have saved the remainder of the houses in the street.

A large store, full of goods, stood next to the cottage. The hotels burned were the Victorian, Prince Alfred (unoccupied), and Sweeny's. The origin of the fire is supposed to have been the woodwork above the chimney in Sweeny's Hotel having caught fire during the day and smouldered until night, when it burst into flames.

Messrs M'Goldrich and Priend are reported to be the heaviest losers. The following additional particulars appear in the Daily JVeics : About half-past four o'clock yesterday morning flames were observed issuing from Mrs Dehan's, formerly Pat Sweeny's Hotel, in the Strand. Every effort was made by the residents of the township with the imperfect appliances they could muster to prevent the fire from spreading, but without avail. The flames had got too strong a hold on the building, and they quickly attracted the adjoining buildings, which burnt like matches, and were soon reduced to heaps of ashes. The principal portion of the town was utterly destroyed by the destructive element, and an injury has been inflicted on Okarito which it will not recover for a long time to come. The buildings destroyed were Mrs Dehan's (late Sweeney's) Hotel, Goldrink's Hotel, Priend's butchery, Evans's Talbot Hotel, Bank of New South Wales, Pratt's chemist shop, and Kennedy's Club Hotel. The origin of the fire is enveloped in profound mystery, and is likely to remain so, for as "the hotel in which it was discovered" was literally burnt to ashes, no idea can be formed in which part of the house it started. Some of the buildings destroyed were equal to many in Hokitika, Sweeney's ranking as one of the first in Westland. I believe that none of the places were insured.