The Mysterious Fire at Tauranga.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 525, 30 October 1890, Page 2

The Mysterious Fire at Tauranga.

[special to ths: standard.] Tauranga, Monday night, There wag a narrow escape of the Government buildings from being destroyed by fire yesterday morning. Mr Page, caretaker of tha Government buildings, on making his usual round of inspection at 10 o’clock, dis—covered that the door of the Borough Council Chambers, which is on the second floor, opposite ihe staircase, had been on fire, and wag charred from bottom to top, and tho coiling of the pamgo stained with smoke. Ths seat of ihsflrc has evidently been at tho bottom of the door, as the flooring is also charted about a yard in diameter, and traces of kerosene were visible. The inside of the door was a’so charred, and similar marks discernible on the floor. Constable Whelan, on being informed cf tho ooaurrenoo, examined ths place, but discovered nothing further, He has ascerteinod, however, that between seven and eight on Saturday night Mr Hollingsworth, engineer of the steamer Douglas, observed an unusual glare showing from the Borough Chamber windows, and was about to give an alarm, when he met Mr Walmsley, whom he told that the Government buildings were on fire. Mr Walmsley pooh-poohed the idea, and on both looking, nothing unusual was to be seen. Mr Asher, Fire Inspector, visited the scene yesterday, and found that the odor of kerosene was .still strong. He is of opinion that the kerosene was spilt close to the bottom of the door. It has been surmised that the fire was ths result of a lighted kerosene lamp being accidentally dropped by some one in tho building, but as no fragments o? glass were discovered, and no alarm raised, there are no reasonable grounds for the surmise. The fire must have burnt fiercely, as portions of the metal door plale, fused, were found lying on tho floor. At the time the glare was observed, the post office staff were working below, bat neither saw nor heard anything of tho fire. Tt is generally supposed that the fire was the result of an accident, but as it evidently burnt itself out, the suspicion that it is tho work of an incendiary must attach. It is to be hoped that the'authorities will make a th rough investigation into the matter, as through some culpable accidcut, or incendiarism, our handsome Government buildings were almost destroyed. The-.wonder is they escaped, llad they been destroyed, we think Tauranga would have stood a poor show of getting theta replaced ’by another set of offices nearly so large. It has bean arranged to hold an inquest, the date of which will be fixed (is soon us authorities ascertain when Mr Douglas will return with Mr llolHngawbeth.’