RANGIOTU FIRE TRAGEDY.

Shannon News, 10 September 1929, Page 2

RANGIOTU FIRE TRAGEDY.

LATE MR WESTLAKE WELLKNOWN IN WAIRARAPA.

PAHIATUA, Sept. 9. . The late Mr J. B. Westlake was 66 years of age, and was born in England. He originally settled at Akaroa, but subsequently was in. business in Masterton, Pahiatua, afnd Dannevirke. Later he returned to Pahiatua, and j.gain ..engaged in business. Some time ago he bought a large estate in the Waikato, and afterwards removed to Palmerston North. He was formerly a member of the Pahiatua Borough Council, ,the A. and P. Association, the Licensing Committee, and the Horticultural Society, and was a Justice of the Peace. His widow, also his married daughter, Mrs Grace Judd, and Miss Gertrude Westlake, reside here, while his only SO n. Arthur, is at Akaroa.

PROBABLY OWNER WAS VICTIM OF A SEIZURE.

FOXTON, Sept. 9. A theory which appears to have a rational ground has been advanced to account for the very tragic fire that occurred near Bangiotu. The late Mr Westlake had recently been subject to severe heart attacks and had been under the care of a Palmerston doctor. He was in the habit of going away from the farmhouse in the evening and returning late. Mrs King, a neighbour, who, knew the Wright- <fa<mdly> intimately, suggests that Mr Westlake went out on Friday night and on his return was in the act of lighting a kerosene lamp when he suffered a heart attack. He was found lying on his back in the living-room.

In the earlier message it was made to appear that there was only one door giving access from the living-room to all three bedrooms, but it has since been discovered that each of the three bedrooms had a door into the livingroom, from which, however, there was only one door to the outside of the house.

What appeared to be a, curious feature of the fire was its very intense heat, but this is explained by the situation of the building in relation to the sand-hills and the westerly wind, which was blowing strongly at the time and would sweep down the gullies like a forced draught. It. is definitely esta-blished that the fire occurred between 11 p.m. and midnight, as the glare was seen by people at Eangiotu at 11.30 and by Foxton residents at 11.45.

BLAZE AT MUHUNOA WEST.

IMPLEMENT SHED AND CONTENTS GONE. > The glare of a fire a few miles to the south could be seen from Levin ■on Sunday, and through the mist and rain the intensity of the glow indicated that the blaze was a big one. It was on the Buller Lake property, the estate of the late Mr J. Hammond Murray, and resulted in the loss of a large building, comprising an implement shed, workman's whare, workshop and stables, together with most of the contents. When discovered, at about eight o'clock, the fire had a good hold, and there were no means of checking it; in fact the contents became almost a total loss, it only being possible to save a drill. The property destroyed included a hay-rake, mower, and other farm # implements, tools, parts of two shearing machines, and a two-cow milking plant, also a collection of Maori curios left there by the late Sir Walter Buller, who at one time owned the

estate. The building was a very old one, constructed of ma-tai, and it burned like matchwood. It was covered by insurance, but the content* were not insured, the implements only having been shifted into the building this year. The loss, consequently, will run into several hundred pounds.