FIRE AT HEDNESFORD STABLES.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 181, 26 June 1869, Page 3

FIRE AT HEDNESFORD STABLES.

At about ha'f-past one on Saturday morning | last, a fire broke out iu tue loft of Mr. H. Hodwood’s buck stables, win oh completely gutted the r builib’ng but lefc nothing standing but the four walls A man who slept at the opposite end of J the loft to that in which the tire originated, was \ awakened about the hour named by the Haines | which had spread along the loft reaching his bed, ; and it was with the greatest ditlieulty he made f his escape by the end w’ndow, and not without i getting his face and hair burnt. On reach'ng t the ground, his first act was to get the horses ; out of the stalls, which contained Toi-toi, a \ splendid two-year-old lilly by St Aubyn, out of \ Waimea, now preparing for her throe-jjiar-ohl engagements; Bashaw, a very fine yearling by St. Anbyu, out of (Jresent, besides two or three other horses The cracking of the slates on the roof and the roaring of the fire had by this time reached the ears of the servant girl, living in the house, who forthvv Ith alarmed the inmates, but nothing could be done beyond preventing the fire extending to the adjoining blacksmith’s shop at the upper end of the bnilditig, and to the second range of stables, which stood at the lower end of the bmn'ng pile but separated from, it by about

two yards As the night was perfectly calm, the spread uf the tire beyond the building it originated in was fortunately prevent* d, for had the wind blown from the south-west, the burning Hakes would have reached two large ricks of straw which stood in very close proximity ; or had the wind blown from the opposite quarter, other large ranges of stabling and sheds, all built of wood have been placed in great danger. Besides the building,, Mr Redwood lost a quantity of seed wheat and barley that were stoicd in the loft, and a lot of harness, and other useful articles. The lire is believed to have originated from mice or rats gnawing at the end of match, a a box, it is believed, having been left by the men who slept in the loft during last harvest time. Mr, Redwood was not insured. The valuable horse Manuka was in the adjoining stable. - - Examiner.