Fire burns down hotel

A fire occurred on Bald Hill Flat on Wednesday night, by which the Cape Broom Hotel, owned by Mr John Dowdall, was burnt to the ground.

The occupants had barely time to escape from the building, and as a strong wind was blowing the whole place was soon a mass of flames.

The owner has resided in the hotel for a number of years, and much sympathy is felt for him in his heavy loss.

• Owing to Waimakariri being unfordable, the passengers from Christchurch to the West Coast on Saturday were unable to proceed farther than Bealey.

When the coaches reached Bealey a heavy rain was falling, and it was found that it would be unsafe to attempt to cross the river, and the travellers had to make up their minds to a 24 hours' halt.

In order to relieve the tedium of the delay a concert was arranged in the evening, and a couple of hours were pleasantly occupied with a musical programme given by a number of passengers.

At the conclusion of the concert votes of thanks were passed to those who had contributed to the programme, and to Mr E. J. Scantlebury for presiding.

During the evening a telegram was received from the district traffic manager stating that a train would leave Otira for Greymouth on the arrival of the coaches on the following day, and cheers were given by the gathering for the traffic manager.

A start was made on Sunday morning at 7 o'clock, and, though the river was still high, all the coaches negotiated the ford without mishap.

Otira was reached at 10 o'clock, and the promised train conveyed the passengers to Greymouth by 1 o'clock.

• What was described as a remarkable dearth of real tenors locally was mentioned last evening by Mr G. M. Thomson at the annual meeting of the Dunedin Choral Society.

This was noticeable, he said, not only at their society and similar organisations, but also in church choirs.

Further, he found that most of those singers posing as tenors for many years were not tenors at all.

The real tenor was a comparatively rare voice, and the speaker said he sincerely hoped that if any of the members could discover one they would take care to inspire enthusiasm in the singer and bring him or her along to the society.

- ODT, 4.3.1910.