Hay Stack Burned.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 6, 20 February 1914, Page 3

Hay Stack Burned.

On Sunday morning about 1 a.m., a big stack, containing the produce of some .seven acres of clover, and valued at something like sev mty pound.--, was nd.-dly destroyed by fire. It appears that as Mr C. Starr was proceeding homeward from Ralph's mine he observed a considerable glare on the west hank of the river, anion getting nearer discovered that it proceeded from a burni in one of the. pxddocks he- ! longing to Mr L. B. Harris, senr., | of Harrisville. ;; - Constables Ingram and Wright secured, the trio proceeded to the scene of the fire. The flames had got so firm a hold that they could do nothing, and even had there been at hand a plentiful supply of water, their efforts must have proved unavailing. Investigation showed that the fire started on the windward of the stack, and that the flames, fanned by the modern!:eiy high eastwind blowing at the time, quick!\ and gr the dry mass. As the stack had kept its shape, an 1 signs of bulging, the cause could not be assigned to spontaneous

combustion, winlo the far! liuit the gate of the paddock, usually secured by a Irong* wire ing, had been left open, raises strong suspicions of incendiarism, the more so, as the use of the pa doodle as a short cut to the houses in the immediate neighbourhood is of no advantage to the re id< it police wh o are invesligntin, ■; t! 1 o matter, are said to have strong suspicions as to the identity of the incendiary.