ENCIRCLED BY FLAMES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 158, 23 March 1918, Page 8

ENCIRCLED BY FLAMES

A MOVING STORY MR. RONALD ISAACS INJURED. A moving story is -told of the fire deep in the heart of the bush country in the Raetilii d'strict by Mr. F. Webb, manager of Messrs. P. and R. Isaacs's bush farm (of 991 acres), known as "Rarrong-Erua." situated 14 miles by track from the Erua. flag station on the Main Trunk line, and 20 miles south of Taumarunui. The owners of the farm are Mr. Percy Isaacs, merchant and indent agent, of Wellington, and his son, Mr. Ronald Isaacs, who works on the property. The fire commenced there, related Mr. Webh yesterday, at 6 o'clock on Monday. having roared its way through seven miles of green bush. As may well be imagined the place quickly became an inferno of the densest '.moke, ashes, and flying sparks, driven in all directions by the northerly gale. By 9 p.m. the little clearing of 300 acres was completely surrounded with flaming hush, and the grass, dry as tinder after a. rainless, month, was licked up, and the grourtd left as dry as a hearth. Attempts were to escape from the place, but all exits were closed by fire, whilst the smoke and ashes ivpre so thick that it was hardly possible to keep the eyes open for mors than a. few seconds at a > time. After making a. futile effort to escape from tho circle of fire, fhe' party, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Webb and Mr. Isaacs, returned tn the house, which was onlv recently huilt, but they (had not been there long when it caught fire, and as there was no water available thev could not even attempt to combat the. flames with any hone of success. So they had to leave' the burning building and repair to the wo'olshed, a timber and iron strncture, about 3! chains away from the house. That building had so far escaped the flames, but at about !) p.m. it caught fire. too. Fortunately tho flames attacked it underneatli, and they were able to smother them with earth. The woolshed proved to be their salvation for it did nob take fire again, awl_ they remained there until 5.30 p.m.' on Tuesday, when, with thev were aWe to take the still burning track to Erua.

Mr. Isaacs Badly Injured. Monday night was one of concentrated horror. At about 9.30 p.m. Mr. Isaacs groped his way, with partially blinded eyes, to the patika (Maori storehouse) in search of food. Whilst there lie managed to see a bag containing 181b. of blasting powder smouldering, and with the idea of saving the structure he picked) the bag up to hurl it into the open, when the powder exploded in his face. He was severely burned on both arms, the chest, and face, and received shock from the explosion. He staggered haclr to the woolslied through the awful murk, and there Mr. and Mrs. Webb did their best to dress his wounds, but had little material to help them. ' The next day Mr. Isaacs was in -a prettv bad way, and quite unable to walk or see very clearly. On Tuesday evening a couple of lads from a neighbouring farm arrived to see how the Webb party had fared, and 011 learning of tho accident hnrried off and returned with some settlers. A stretcher was improvised, and Mr. Isaacs was carried over the 6ft. bridle track fourteen miles to the Erua station. The track was still in a very bad way. blocked here and there with Mazing loss, and it took two men all their time hard at work to clear it sufficiently to allow the stretcher party to stageer forward with the injured man. At Erua Mr. Isaacs was attended to by a doctor from Taumarunni, and was brought down to Wellington by the express and taken to the Bowen Street

Private Hospital, where he is being attended to by Dr. Herbert.

Danger of a Fresh Outbreak. I

Mr. Webb stated that Sirs. Wcb'A was a little scorched, but on the who'/rj went through the trying experien ce with great fortitude. Iu his opin.' /an there is an imminent danger of tiie ire breaking out again, "if they are getting tlio. line weather you have, lie re," ho said; "I would not be at all sur prised to hear of it breaking out a gain. Before the lire we had not had { any rain for a month, and it really neeas about a week's rain to give the country a good soaking. Tho nrst rai a they experienced at the farm was a sWiver at about noon on Tuesday, and. steady rain set in at about 2.30 .p.m. tJ.jat day, but not nearly enough has i'alli «n -'to remove all danger. There 'we're about 400 sheep and 50 head,of cattle ion the farm, but whether or not any; Vr them are left alive iie cuuid not sa : /, 'as uk-, could not see when they lef 6.

''Mr. 0. Kennedy, wuo ii a? a I2oJapre farm to the soutli of KarrongErua, had between 500 and .' WO sheep, which I think must have p. arislied, ana Tylee Bros, have a farm of between 3000 and 4000 acres to tb c north, but how they fared 1 can't s; iy."

Amongst the losses mstained by Messrs. Isaacs were £ip worth oi stores, which had just been laid in for the winter months.

Dr. Harty has 4 assu red Mr. P. Isaacs' that his son's e yes Ml not be permanently affected as/ a result of the explosion. Mr. Isaacs, senior, desires to tender his hearty thanks to the railway authorities and to the settlers who so gallantly he'/ped to • bring i,.._ injured soil out of til c bush.