MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE AT WAKAPUAKA

Western Star, Issue 18, 14 March 1874, Page 2 (Supplement)

MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE AT WAKAPUAKA

On Thursday morning, Mr Fuller, a very old and respected resident of the Wakapuaka district, met his death under the following unexpected and melancholy circumstances. The day was a general holiday, but tew persons were about, and this in a great measure accounts for the disastrous even which followed Mr Puller sat himself outside his house, close to a gorse hedge, and lit his pipe, casting aside the lighted match, which ignited the grass round him without attracting his attention. The fire presently reached the gorse hedge, and then, but too late, Mr Fuller was aroused to action. Having nothing beside him to beat out the fire, he had to expend some little time in procuring an instrument for the purpose, and appears to have left the spot and returned with a grubber, with which he endeavored to check the progress of the flames. In doing this, the excited and feeble old man twice fell into the burning gorse, and became enveloped in the flames, for upon his reaching the house shortly af cr (giving the first intimation they had of the occurrence), it was found that his trousers were reduced to tinder, his general clothing destroyed, his back very badly burnt, the skin was peeling off his bands, and he was terribly burnt in various parts of the body. Such of tho neighbors as the holiday bad left at home assisted to put out the fire, an 1 some passers by rendered valuable aid to the efforts than had to be made to prevent the fire extending to a gi eater extent amongst the adjoining properties. A Gout forty chains of fencing and gorse hedge w-ra destroyed, but the house escaped. A messenger despatched for medical assistance brought Dr Farrelle promptly to the spot with all the usual medical appliances, but from the first the case was a hopeless on -i, and th* sufferer died at six o’clock the following morning. Deceased was a very old settler, having arrived here in 1841.—‘ Colonist'