Loss by Fire

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 93, 24 August 1923, Page 5

Loss by Fire

SUM OF £250 IN NOTES. A fire on Tuesday morning totally destroyed a four-roomed wooden dwelling on the Manganui Road, -4'vakiuo, about twenty miles frorl Mokau. Smoko was seen issuing from the house, which was . occupied by three young men named Norman Leech, L. Wood and W. .Wood, by a sawmill employee, William Drysdalo, about 9.30 a.m. It was then impossible to effect a “save,” and the house was burned to the ground. The fire presumably started in the kitchen. The occupants left for work about 7 a.m., the range fire then being practically out. The value of the house is estimated at £9OO, being partly covered by an insurance policy for £SOO in the Northern Company’s office. A particularly unfortunate feature of the fire was mentioned by Mr W. Wood, who said that he and his brother had about £250 in notes in the house at the time of the fire. They only moved into the house about two months ago in order to commence a bushfelling contract. Mr Leech, who was al Duntioon military college graduate, also suffered considerable loss, j aout £2OO worth of his gear, includ-i ing a valuable set of books,’ being! destroyed.