A SCHOOL IN DANGER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 434, 17 February 1909, Page 5

A SCHOOL IN DANGER.

(bi TeLiaKArn.—srEciit. coßEif/HroNnnN'T.'i 1. Auckland, February 16. ■ ; The teacher. and scholars of Karamu School, in tho Baglari : district; passed through an ;exciting experience' the other; day. ; ' .. A neighbouring' farmer was burning off a large piece of ti-tree at -some distance fromtho school. This was directly to windward-- of :tho building,' and a long line of furious flame rapidly, approached the pine-tree fence which bounds the school- children's garden. , How/ever, just as the flames caught the . trecß the wina-changed'a little, _sp that the fire , and sparks ,passed, to the side! of the schoblhouse and swept' .through the fern in adjacent paddock, whero it was soon got ,under, con.trol by /. the. teacher; and the elder; scholars. 'It seemed, that the danger to the buildings was : , past,, but a few moments-afterwards a. strong body of flame' threatened the , school from tho. other side, and in. a moment a clump/of inaordcarpa tree' s standing ;withiri a chain;:of the schoolh'ousp, and immediately; to.; ' windward, . was ... enveloped . , .in , a roaring sheet" of 'flam© 30 feet or. 40 feet 'high.. .One of ' the. detached. butbuiTditags ; caught: fire, arid although Mr, M'Lean, ,tne : : school teacher, ably assisted; by : Masters Dalland' and -Alfred Smith',/laboured; strenuously •to extinguish'the- flames, 'this/small, building and a/great part iof the fence ' surrounding -the >three-acre /school paddock, wbre consumed. t