Twenty-five houses in the township, including the county offices, the town board office, the dairy factory, and the police station, have been destroyed. At 9 a.m. the centre of the town and the post office were safe. All post and telegraphic communication is cut off. A heavy hurricane is still blowing, and the remaining portion of the town is still in grave danger. The postmaster at Ohakune telegraphed at 1.03 p.m. that relief trains were bringing the people to Ohakune. Latest information this afternoon, but which is not quite definite, is that the express from Auckland will arrive in Wellington about 9 o'clock tonight. Passengers who left Wellington by the mid-day express today were acquainted of the fact that 70ft of the sleepers of the viaduct near Horopito had been burned, and that it would be necessary for them to traverse the viaduct on foot. It is not anticipated that any danger will attend the process. Probably very little delay will be occasioned in changing trains. Telegraphic communication is interrupted in all directions, and it is doubtful if messages can get through.
PALMERSTON N. A Manawatu Daily Times reporter, who motored from Palmerston to Taihape, reports that the country between Mangaweka and Taihape is a mass of flames over 1000 acres, but the settlers gathered in most of the stock, and the damage is not likely to be great - indeed, the country has benefited to a large extent. He was present when the refugees from Raetihi arrived at Taihape. Most of them were suffering severely from injury to the eyes, and many were quite blind. They tell a moving story of their experiences. The fire swooped down on the town with extraordinary suddenness. It was propelled by a gale so fierce that motor cars were blown off the road, and burning branches of trees were flung in all directions for unbelievable distances, spreading the conflagration. The people, who are terror-stricken, are putting up a good fight; but house after house has been destroyed.
War and the university
The Chancellor (the Rev. A. Cameron) presented to the University Council yesterday a statement indicating some of the ways in which, in his judgement, the advancement of the operations of the University in the immediate future should be sought. Already he said, the Otago University College had sent to the service of King and country, one member of the council, 18 members of the teaching staff, and 545 students, past and present. Not a few had gained honourable recognition of their services, and over 60 had made the supreme sacrifice. Notwithstanding this drain on the student roll, the attendance at the classes had been maintained in a remarkable measure. In 1913 the students numbered 604; in 1914, 642; in 1915, 574; in 1916, 628; and in 1917, 590. As yet it was not possible to give the number in attendance this year, but the registrar did not anticipate any very great alteration in the total as compared with last year.
The number of students joining the Medical School this year was nearly 60. In the Dental School there were 16 students. In the home science school the number of students was now 58.
-ODT, 20.3.1918.
