Outbreak In a Mill Yard

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXII, Issue 12378, 31 January 1908, Page 5

Outbreak In a Mill Yard

Timber Stacks Burned

TAUMARUNUI, January 27.

What threatened to be a very serious fire occurred in the Puketapu Sawntilling Company's timber yard at Matapuna late on Saturday afternoon. Being a halfholiday there were very few men near the mill, but, fortunately, a cricket match, was being played between the Matapuna and Tauraarunui Cricket Clubs, across .the Wanganui River, opposite the mill, and on the players' attention being called to the firs the game was quickly abandoned, and % willing gang of workers rendered valuable assistance in removing stacks of timber, thus confining the fire to a small area. Two stacks of timber were completely destroyed. A fairly strong wind was blowing at the time, and it was only by hard work that the flames were kept in check. A"t one time it was feared that both the company's mills would be destroyed, the fire being in close proximity to the large mill, and there being continuous stacks of timber between both mill*.

The outbreak is supposed to have been caused by a spark from a locomotive.