FIRE AT TOTARA.

North Otago Times, Volume IV, Issue 62, 27 April 1865, Page 2

FIRE AT TOTARA.

From the narrative given in a letter from our corret pondent, Mr H. Campbell, Totara, of a. fire wliifi occurred lately in the stackyard there, our readers wJ observe how successful energy and perseverance an likely to become under such circumstances in savitj property, -while apathy would leave the whole ti burn: — Totara, April 22nd, 1865. SIB, — I -wish to give you particulars of a fire whiei broke out on Monday last among our stacks. In th morning, about ten o'clock, one of our stacks caugl fire from a small spark of kindled manuka bark blow from the chimney of the steam engine, a distance a eleven yards from the stack. It was observed at onct, and the machine Btopped. All the men set to work ai succeeded in putting it out in a. few minutes, before it spread half-way over the roof. The mean« used were water and beating with wet bags ; there was plenty ol water at hand at the time, being in use for the engine. I assure you that I thought we got off very safe, for I seldom or ever heard of a Btack catching fire that wu put out before being burnt to the ground. We con tinued thrashing with the same wood, stripping the bark off, thinking we might risk it with that ; and about four o'clock in the afternoon another stack caught fire, from a spark in the roof in the same way as the last. Thi supply of water at band was rather short, the man wo was drawing water for the engine having just gone foi some. Seeing the stack on fire, he made all the hast( he could ; but in the hurry, and when near the stacks, he capsized the cart, water, and horse, which madi things much worse. However, they were put to right at once, and we sent for a fresh supply, with plenty of » sistance. In the meantime the engineer was obliged to let the water off the boilers into a hole near at nand, in which the tarpaulins and bags were wet, and raised them over the stack, which wn« all in flaro« An adjoining stack was protected in like manner. William Hardy and Robert Leer rushed to thj top of the stack at once, in the very middle a the flames ; water was handed to them, which tnej threw all over the top and beat with wet bags. At the same time the rest of the men were engaged beatinj the wills of the stack with wet bags, on the ends of pitchforks when too high to reach by hand. There wen two teams drawing gram from the machine, which bem{ supplied with water-casks, and getting all the bucket) we could muster, together with all the hands on the farm, numbering 25, after two hour« hard work, w« succeeded in getting it under, but it still kept smoking, and we could hear the fire burning inside, so we wert obliged to commence and take the stack down. At ttoi time the men were very tired, having been *t work all Such praise is due to the men for thu manner in whicl they worked. The group of stacks would have been burned to the ground, containing about 5000 busheU oats and Mr Hassell's machine would likewise have beet destroyed, had it not been for the energy displayed bj all hands.