A MOARI WHARE DESTROYED BY LIGHTNING AT WAOTU.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1780, 1 December 1883, Page 3

A MOARI WHARE DESTROYED BY LIGHTNING AT WAOTU.

While tho natives residing in the \.uious settlements in and about Waotu were attending tho meeting hold thoie on Wednesday evening last, for tho pmpoMj of discu^siiig matters in connection with the native dispute between Wliatuaio and H.'ny Symonds, an accident of a .somewhat uui .usual charactei occui led to tho whaie of a well-known native chief named To Kei. A^ttavy thundeistoun was prevailing at Att^Plnio, wheu a flatih of lightning is said have struck the whare, setting it on fire, i and as there was no one about at the time, the flames were, allowed to .spicid, and in a few minutes the whole concoi n was bin nod to the ground. There was a lot of piopeity in the whare at the tune, including .saddles, harncbs, clothes, &c, and the building itself was an unusually valuable one to bj in the occupation of a native. To Hei estimates hib lotib at nearly 4*300, and though mo are inclined to think this estimate sli»htly oveidrawn, fetill we are as^uied )>y those in «i position to state that it i« not m> much s-o as nianv would incline to belie 1 , c. We may state that, though the M.ious usseit that lighting vnt« tlie cause of the me, theie is every possibility of caielessness having bsen the origin.