IN THE WELLINGTON DISTRICT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2095, 22 January 1908, Page 2

IN THE WELLINGTON DISTRICT.

Press Association. WELLINGTON, Jan. ‘2l. Eketaliuna settlers at Rongokokako are during holes in t>he ground and burning their furniture, m anticipation of the fire becoming more severe. r i lie winds have eased slightly, and with the efforts of the workers the position of the factory lias been rendered safer, though t'ho fire got within JO yards of it. It is still being carefully watched. At Nireaha terrible damage has been done. The fire swept- with such force that all the efforts were unavailing. The school and teacher's residence, the manager of the Nirealia Co-oper-ative Cheese Cods house, and the following settlers’ houses were destroyed : —Hansen, Aberthsen, Goodin, Saey, Busst. A number of huts and outbuildings at Aberdeen's timber mill are believed to be destroyed. A young lad, son of a Waterens settler, is reported to bo missing. It it impossible to ascertain the full amount of the damage in that district. The wind lias changed slightly, and has made the position a little less severe. A number of men are watching the Xi realm Co-operative Cheese Factory, which was unable to take any milk this morning. The Eketaliuna Borough men are engaged in putting out incipient- fires in the open. Settlers at Newman state that the fires -appear to be spreading over a good few farms.