TEMPLETON.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 3511, 30 December 1885, Page 3

TEMPLETON.

The correspondent of the Preis writes : — A disastrous fire occurred m the Templeton district on Sunday afternoon, by which two houses were totally destroyed, about 1000 acre* of tussock feed, and several miles of gor»e and other fences were burnt. The fire was first noticed about 2 p.m., and was supposed to have started either on the farm of Messrs docker or Burt, situated near the Board of Conservators' works, but the cause ia at present unknown. The fire made such rapid progress, owing to the very dry Btate of the tmsocks, and the strong nor' wester blowing, that m the space of half-an-hour it had traversed about two miles, partly through Clarkson's run, and widening out on the ran of Mr Bt«ad, which it swept clean. At this stage tbe nor'-wester had increased, and tbe fire had come to the gowe fences and gone growing on the farms of Kelly and Edwards, every effortbeing made to save these two dwellings, but m Tain, as bei' g tbatched they went like tinder. By dint of great perseverance on the part of the settlers who had collected m a great body, tbe fire was prevented from crossing the Harewood Boad, and going down tha South bank of the Waimakariri, which would have proved most disastrous. The homesteads of Dr Prins and Mr G. G. Stead had narrow escapes ; the green grain crop near tbe former saving it, aod the plough being brought into use for the latter, saved it. The fire crossed the road at a bound just below Manley's orchard, and rushed through the Graham Estate, and was finally stopped at Mr Boag's. The fire lasted about three hours, and covered four mili-s of country, m places burning nearly a mile wide. The damage is chiefly confined to tbe fences and feed, of which the damage at this dry season ran hardly be eetimnted. As far as can be ascertained, there are no insurances on the houses burnt of Messrs Edwards or Kelly. (By Telegraph.)