NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1640, 6 January 1913, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

• (By Telegraph—Press Association.)' i.' "*'. ''■".'. V ""—■"'.'•:.'■■" a. " EIGHT'MILESOF FIRE. '', j' SEVERAL FARMS DEVASTATED.\\Whangarei, January 4. A. fir? vrh\cli broke out at the Whatatiri dairying district on Tuesday, is now assuming!alarming proportions. It now covers, an." area eight miles long by nail a mile wide.-. . ,^ ; "•'.■:■ „■.,.'" , The ' continued dry weather. has made for a shortage in feed. i'.Some farms are nearly devastated. One', farmer is milking fifty cows on' two hundred aore's. He had more than' half of his feed destroyed. ; Cocksfoot, crops ':wore also destroyed. ,'- ■ ■■'."■.• ■'*;** ■• - * : The fire is'.'still raging... Settlers have engaged all available hands to. beat it out, but' the only; hojie., is' heavy rain. It is impossible. to estimate'the damage, which will run,near four figures. CRUSHED IN LIFT GEAR. Christchurch, January 4. James Robertson, a married.man residing in Bealey Street, was killed at the gasworks early, this morning. The men wero changing shifts, and during the spell Robertson was making minor repairs ■'to the elevator. The machineryßestartied and Robertson was caught an-the gearing and crushed. ';'-*<\:?> ' REEFTON MINES AFTER RESTART- '. ; - .• ing. ■;■'".. \ '''■:• '.-'■ ,' 1 ' Reefton, January 5. v : The mines are very active, since restarting, and experienced miners are badly wanted for New, Big River, as well as fot.the Consolidated Group. In spite ;of great 'difficulty, an' engine and boiler '■ were : trarispbfted to the top of the hill at ■ the Now '.Discovery. Crushing will soon ■be started! -An accident to the poppet heads, at ;tbe; Keep-It-Dark Mine, has delayed''restarting. A lot of the old hands are returning. ■:'.-.-•. BANKRUPT STATISTICS. Duneditj, January 5. There we're eight (bankruptcies in Dun.o.dm.fo'r, the year ended last month, as against 27 for the previous;year. Invercargill allows;an increase for ,the past year.. There were 16 bankruptcies there as'against'll for 1911. "•.'.> .':...' '/>.- In Dunedin for the past year the assets, as per statements'filed, wero .£175 Us, 6d. The amounts owing to secured creditors were .£lOsl .14s. Gel.j and to unsecured creditors J&1420 '4s. 2d. The amounts paid in sdividorids .totalled ,£7OB 9s. 5d.SUMNER ESTUARY AGAIN. Christchurch, January 5. ■'• Another drowning fatality occurred at Sumner to-dny. n man named Charles Weatherall Hatchard, thirty years of age, living in Bath Street, losing his life. He was bathing in the estuary near the pier at.the:time.