FIRE AT GALATEA.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 733, 4 February 1910, Page 5

FIRE AT GALATEA.

DESPERATE FIGHT WITH .FLAMES. DEATH BY HANGING. (By .Telegraph.—Press Association,l ■Rotorua, February 3. . Word . was rMeived:, this morning that the kitchen and /men's ', dining-rooms a t Galntoa Station were v totally destroyed at eleven o'clock last . night.. The. fire was 'discovered l by one' of the "station hands named M'Gill, who roused the other •.meni >but; the;..flames;:had then complete possession 'of the building. The, efforts; of -.'tho men were] directed. towards saving Vthe ;.homestead, -. which ■' they , sue-, ceedea mdoing, although the building was .'separated'.by. only: a' few feet. During the progress of the fire- the water gave out. Part • of. the homestead woe scorohed, and all the contents of thekit- ' ohen totally destroyed. . Some of the men, were burnt 1 about the feet, and lost a portion of their hair.' ■ ;

A 6earch was made for tho cook last night, but : lio could not be found, This ■ morning ■ the cook: was, found hanging, in a^smaU,: : .buUdihg ,;'at' the rear- of the Jatohen.;/ '.He hid; evidently tied a. piece ,pf/. ( his ' : heelci. stooa oh, the: table,:and'jumped off. Ho was quite doad wli£n found,; 'No' caufie is :assigned fortho act; Tho;:cook, ,;namedJames Ivsan3, h[id been afc tho station about six: weeks.; ; Ho cama, from. Napier, where he had been on a station 'as .cook , for/ four years. He .was a prod-tempered man, his ago-being about 6iity„ Sargoont Carroll and Mr. D.- Lundon, J J., left here this morning,. and an inquest and inquiry will be held to-night.