DESTRUCTION BY FIRE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15834, 3 February 1915, Page 6

DESTRUCTION BY FIRE

DAMAGE AT A STATION.

GRASS AREA SWEPT.

[BT TELEGRAPH OWN CORErsT-oxDETr.) Whang un, Tuesday. FrBTHER particulars of the fire which'h caused so much haw- r . n t j, e P*»n, Estate, in the Bay of Islands. owce/hr Messrs. Close and Dickeson, show tiat the mischief has been far more extend and costly than at first appeal. The fire first broke out or. Tnnrsdar of , , . . . * -"ursasy of last week, originating or. adjoiEb- Jutland, though the cause could not he tained. The flames first ran through tie standing bush on tie estate, ruining a large area, and then swept across a llaT acre clearing on which were •»» cattle and sheep- A great many of jj were unable to escape, but thei,. _ , , , . i . iaelr muni*-. can only be conjectured at present It ■ beyond question that the loss to \f Close ana Dickeson is very serious. Th-3 fire continued its ■»,*■*. , _.. orer the properties respectively 0 f w Wright and Messrs. Delany and Company who will be losers t-r> a considerable bv the demolition of standing timhe the destruction of pastoral areas. Though the rain of Friday U* vnr a check, the flames were too fieros to k» antirelv subdued, and thev Wv. lu « out again on Saturday with renewed tipd,and 6til] continue. ' '' Some details are also available of . >..„ fire which spread through the PuTr©jjj* trict last week as the result of gumdisg— igniting the scrub. The buildings and the orchard OTm«j b» Mr. D. Hoey were endangered, and it ■«■», only owing to an intervening creek and • protracted battle by " all hands" agasart the encroaching flames that ri« buildarj and fruit area were eventually free £»_, the menace. Taking a wide circuit, the fir* rapidly in the direction of the Domini M Portland Cement Company's works, wlucfc are in course of construction at Tikoranri. The foresight of a couple of settlers in the vicinity, however, obviated what nrigfcj have ended disastrously. The resident* in question had taken the precaution of ploughing up a broad strip of land, and this proved effectual in stopj-ing toe pro. gress of the flames, LOSS AT TAKAXA. TELEGRAPH HOTEL BURNED. [BT TELEGRAPH— - ASSOCIATION.7 Nelson, Tuesday. A fire at Takaka at midnight totally destroyed the Telegraph Hotel and sampleroom, a vacant shop, and Hawkins', butchery. It originated in the hotel, which contained boarders and staff numbering 50 who got out safely. A buciet brigade saved the Masonic Hal] and Kirk and Company's store, both of which were scorched. The Defence Department bid ammunition stored in the sample-room, some of which exploded, causing alarm. Mr. C. Stuart, the licensee, is reported to have lost £100 in cash. The town was full of visitors to toe annual show he'd on Anniversary Day. AWATE2E GHASS FIRS,.. STARTED BY RABBIT POEOS. [BT telegraph—press ASSOCIATOTS.] Blenheim. Tuesday. The grass firr> in the Upper Awatera district has now been definitely cheated. It covered a smaller extent than was first reported, and the damage done is less than was anticipated. The .origin of the fire is not known. It is believed to have been set up by rabbit poison, WATHT COTTAGE BTJBFED. INMATES' NARROW ESCAPE. [BT TELEGRAPH-—OWX . CVDRRESPOXUETT. 1 Waihj, Tuesday. A five-roomed dwelling at Bull town, owned and occupied by Mr. John Swanson and family, together with furniture and effects, was totally destroyed by fire about one o'clock this morning. The fire had a strong bold before the inmates ol

the house were awakened, and they had to make a hasty exit, taking only a few article;' of clothing. The building was 1 insured for £100 with the Northern Office, but there was no insurance on the contents.