BIG GALE AND FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1716, 5 April 1913, Page 5

BIG GALE AND FIRE.

■ MUCH DAMAGE IN TARANAKI. . (By -Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) I : - Hawera, April 4. • ••'v- : -Iniormation •to "hand from South Tara« '•'.'naki shows : -'that 'several farmers,, in •; .Kowan-. ■ dirtrict particularly, . 'suffered •'-'■ heavy losses* as'the result of last Friday's -''Kale, andfthe spread-: of.; a .fire...from a ■ burn-oft'-' over valuable property., Haystacks suffered considerably through the '-gale by .having'the'tops taken, off, while tanks were lifted bodily from' their stands ' Vand hurled: away.;. Milk-cans, buckets, etc., were treated in a like manner. " To add to the chaos fires lit for. "burn- ; ing-off" on.somo properties spread with '•■great rapidity, and ,cowards '3 o'clock a good stretchof country was burning fierco-:-ly, much damage being done to , fences, etc. -Some of tho'settlers suffered heavily, notably Mr. G. Hill, whoso shed and ; milking plant were, totally destroyed. ./ • Some - farming • implements. were also • damaged. The insurance only partially , covers the loss, so that Mr. Hill stands to lose considerably. ; I: Mr. V. Mellow was also hard hit, by :... .having big' haystacks burnt, while other " settlers had an ansious time of it. • Towards-■ evening tho|' gale lessened in its ..severity, , and . tho ' much-hoped-for , rain ' • 'set in. :