Destruction of the Young Colonial Hut Fire.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1545, 30 May 1882, Page 2

Destruction of the Young Colonial Hut Fire.

by On Fiklay night labt between the houis of S and 9, the hut occupied by the men employed in this, claim was completely destroyed by lire, the three occupants being away at the time whiling an hour in pleasant converse with their adjoining neighbours in the Premier mine. On returning home, however, they perceived to their intense surprise and consternation their whare completely enveloped in flames, which they were unable to approach in consequence of the stowage in fhe hut of some powder, dynamite, and caps kept on hand for blasting purposes. In a very few minutes, • however, there was a grand display of fireworks, including rockets of burning embers, half charred rags, &c, it can be hardly necessary to add this was preceded by three terrific explosions. Thus ended this untimely catastrophe, but before concluding, we must refer to the very unsafe, and even dangerous practice of keeping such dangerous explosives in bush w hares, where as a rule the fire is never allowed to die out, and is often burning within a few feet of these deadly explosives just mentioned.