DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 125, 16 March 1881, Page 2

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

A very disastrous fire occurred on Sunday morning early, when Mesais/ Gillies, and Henderson's sawmill" at Bunnythorpe was burnt to the. grounds Tt appears that on Saturday night, owing, to the dangei ous proximity of bush fires;- most of tW men stayed at the mill for a considerable time, and were about leaving at ten o'clock when it began to' rain, and the etay.at the mill than was more for shelter and a yarn, than with the object of watching the lire, it having died so low m the surrounding bnsh and the rain coming down, that- they gave it no more thought, feeling convinced that there was no danger. In fact one of the men who thought he would act on the safe side, happened to be-over cautious, and re; moved his blankets, &c, from a whare that he slept m and placed them m the mill, as he thought, for safety ; but "it turned out to be a case of misplaced confidence, for the whare is still standing, while the mill and ad its contents was consumed y 'Thtrjnen left the mill about 1 a.m. Sunday, when there seemed no danger, just a beacon light hero aud there, where the top of some twe •was- smouldering, the fire m tJwbosh seeming t . have spent its fury by this time, but treacherous m its quietude, it^ was only slumbering aud creeping stealthily forward towards its piey, upon which it most have leaped shortly after the men left, for news was brought down m the morning by Mr. Healy — who lives on the line — that when he reached the mill at about 6.50 a.m. the place was-one mass of -fire.~ Nothing then' could possibly be done to cbeok the flames m fact the heat was so intense that it was. impossible to get within a considerable distance of it, aid by the time Messrs. Gillies and Henderson and others arrived on the scene the mill was reduced to a mass of fiery embers. ;The; tram'ftns-rWhich is of wood -hadalsojOiLDgbtJlre, .and. the_aaw: dust, m fact everything within reach of the fiery tongues was greedily attacked. The R-jeotatore con d do nothing but look on, for by this time everything of value had been devoured by the fiery element which left the boiler and engine standing alone as a memento of what there had been. We believe the mill was insured for £1000. but this will nothing like cover the loss, the owners are thereby heavy lowers.