DESTRUCTION BY FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19778, 27 October 1927, Page 10

DESTRUCTION BY FIRE.

HOTEL BURNED TO GROUND. OCCUPANTS* HURRIED EXIT. [BY telegraph.—press association.] WAIKOA (H. 8.), Wednesday. The Mohaka Hotel, an old landmark, consisting of 20 rooms, was burned down at an early hour this morning. The licensee, Mr. D. J. Murphy, his wife and family, and three others, escaped in their night clothes. The owner 61 the building is Mr. J. Tait, of Mohaka. The insurances on the furniture and stock amount to £9OO. FLAMES SWEEP FLAX AREA. LARGE ACREAGE SUFFERS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] TB PUKE. Wednesday A fire which occurred on Saturday swept over about 430 acres of the Pongakawa and Waihi Swamp, destroying about 600 tons of growing flax, which was ready to cut. It was only by the strenuous efforts of a number of willing workers that the fire was prevented from spreading over the whole of the swamp, which contains several thousands of acres of valuable flax. Most of this land is held under the Government renewal lease. Messrs. Main, Collins and McLean are heavy losers. BORSTAL INSTITUTE OUTBREAE!. STAFF KEEPS FLAMES IN CHECK. [BY TELEGRAPH.—-PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The Wellington Fire Brigade received a call this afternoon to the Borstal Institute, at Point Halswell. Slight damage was done to the walls and roof of the kitchen, but the staff of the institute kept the fire well in hand until the arrival of the brigade, when the outbreak was quickly extinguished.