THE LATE FIRE AT TE AWAMUTU.

Waikato Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 3490, 6 November 1894, Page 4

THE LATE FIRE AT TE AWAMUTU.

The fire in Te Awamutu last Friday ia rather unfortunate, as by it that township is deprived of its hall at the very period when most required, as the holiday season' ia just coming on. The Amateur Athletis Club had arranged a eoncert to take place' in. the evening of the sports day, next' Friday, and the ladies of St/ John's church, had; an entertainment coming on a week later, in aid of their church repair funds, The' church concert has been indefinitely postponed, i as the tableaux, etc., .which were to be part of the programme/could not be given withoafca proper stage. < ;losses by the fire; There is very little to add about the fire except to confirm it as a melancholy fact. The origin is a mystery; and all kinds of;theories are.put forward to ex« plain it. The probable cause is that some' paper or. rubbish underneath' the hall caught fire from' some stray crackers let off by the school children. On the otherhand the school teachers 'say the : children were not near the hall that morning, *so it will remain a mystery, The Musical Society saved their piano and all their music, but lost the piano case half a dozen music stands, and two old Mikado scenes, The dance committee were more unfortunate., They lost a good' set of crockery and other small articles, which they have been gradually collecting for the last few winters, out of the profits of the dances, and they had just about got it complete. The Cavalry Corps are also losers over a quantity of arms and accoutrements, and Sergeant' Caley lost his presentation sword, which he had had for a long time and valued highly.

CHARRED HUMAN EEMAINS.

Some children groping in the ashes on Saturday morning for treasures, dis--covered a human skull, The rumour then soon flashed round the township that a tramp had been burnt in the hall. Hehad been sleeping in the little cupboard under the back staircase, just where the lire actually did start. A crowd soon gathered up at the scene of the fire and the knowing ones examined the skull, The rest of the bones were, so report' said, in the hands of the police- The mystery was solved after a while. The skull was an old Maori one which had been left in the hall by Mr Gresham many years ago, its existence completely forgotten until found among the ashes. NEW HALL. The Committee of the Hall intend building a new hall as soon as possible, a resolution which must commend itself to everyone, as the township cannot dowithout one for any length of time.