RANGIOTU FIRE TRAGEDY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 9 September 1929, Page 5

RANGIOTU FIRE TRAGEDY.

LATE MR WESTLAKE WELLKNOWN IN WAIRARAPA.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) PAHIATUA, This Day. The late Mr J. B. Westlake was fill years of ago, and was born in England. He originally settled at Akaroa, but subsequently was in business in Alasterton, Pahiatua, r/nd Dannevirkc. Later he returned to Pahiatua. and again engaged in business. Some time ago he bought a large estate in the Waikato, and afterwards removed to Palmerston North. He was formerly a member of the Pahiatua Borough Council, the A, and P. Association, the Licensing Committee, and the Horticultural Society, and was a Justice of tlu> Peace. His widow, also his married daughter, Airs Grace Judd, and Miss Gertrude Westlake, reside here, while his only son, Arthur,lis at Akaroa. PROBABLY OWNER WAS VICTIM OF A SEIZURE. (Special (o ‘ ‘ Chronicle. ”) FOXTOX, This Day. A theory which appears to have a, rational ground lias been advanced to account for the very tragic fire that occurred near Rangiotu. The late Air Westlake had recently been subject to severe heart attacks and had been under the care of a Palmerston doctor. He was in the habit of going away front the farmhouse in the evening and returning late. Airs King, a neighbour, who) knew the 'Wright' ’funnily' intimately, suggests that Air Westlake went, out on Friday night and On his return was in the act of lighting a kerosene lamp when he suffered a heart attack. He was found lying on his back in the living-room. In the earlier message it was made to appear that there was only one door giving access from the living-room to all three bedrooms, but it lias since been discovered that each of the three bedrooms had a door into the livingroom, from which, however, there was only one door to the outside of the house.

What appeared to lie a curious feature of the fire was its very intense heat, but this is explained by the situation of the building in relation to the sand-hills and the westerly wind, Avhich was blowing strongly at the time and would sweep down the gullies like a forced draught.

It is definitely established that the fire occurred between H p.m. and midnight, as the glare was seen by people at Rangiotu at 11.30 and by Foxton residents at 11.45. FARMHOUSE DESTROYED. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association.) PA 111 A TIT A, This Day. At Konini a five-roomed house, owned and occupied by I). M a bey, a farmer, was totally destroyed by fin, 1 on Saturday night. The insurances are £3BO in the Commercial Union, and on the furniture £2OO in the same office. BLAZE AT MUHUNOA WEST. IMPLEMENT SHED AND CONTENTS GONE.

The glare of a fire a few miles to the smith could lie seen from Levin last evening, aiid through the mist and rain the intensity of the glow indicated that the blaze was a. big one. It was on the Duller Lake property, the estate of the late Mr J. Hammond Murray, and resulted in file loss of a large building, comprising an implement shed, workman's whare, workshop and stables, together with most of the consents. "When discovered, at about eight o’clock, the lire had a good hold, and there were no means of checking it; in fact the contents became .almost a ,total loss, it only being possible to save a drill. The property destroyed included a hay-rake, mower, and other farm implements, tools, parts of two shearing machines, and a two-cow milking plant, also -a collection of Maori curios left there by the late Sir Walter Buller, who at one time owned the estate. The building was a very old one, constructed of ma-tai, and it burned like matchwood. It was covered by insurance, but the contents were not insured, the implements only having been shifted into the building this year. The loss, consequently, will run into several hundred pounds.