The Stratfor Bush Fire

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 93, 16 January 1886, Page 2

The Stratfor Bush Fir e

A J3ENS ATIOtfAL, rSTGIDENT. Nbw P&rKoTOfitr January 14A special repbrterj sends to the Taranala Herald t^ "fallowing sensational incidient relatiag escapes during the tush fires: — Th)» experiences of the WoodrutFr-fsflnily are as follows : Owing to the rapid advance » of the fire therYsfcad fo leaW'tn^fcr house and clearing very hurriedly. Mrs WoodniS Had with her ai ii^aiqft of a few. days old, and 'although she waSin^a deKcate conditidii herself, had, WithiSfitimily;: MJtakaii«fßgo in a creek. After seeing his; family safe for th« time being, Mr Woodruff left ;them to see whether ; there ya/t any ehaj^ of s^ying r auy / of Bis, pro-' * perty frionr the bpuea. tra account of the (preat daagw his 'wife 1 tried to . dissuade him frara going, but without avail. Their f &lttra f-oifc finding^fi^ n* did not return, .■ whdlfc'at -th« saW time^theyLcould sbeJ thes&^spjpeadih# over everydnchL of ground iwherß/rbff was supposed to be, are difficult to portray 'their- fears for Has i. safety mad& them almosl forget their tnioi xnisvraibLe p&ght. Theywere enjoyed b^weyjer^to si©.. Jh^ vwjM«otli»^^4 :' given up for lost, appear safe and jvell as soon as the flames b&dj burnt thfeinselves out., ; VjHe.!'. had : . taken > refuge in the, well,;: Seeing all escape cut ofi^ ; , he beijiought himselt of this ref qge^as ' the last and; only report.; , ; ; Xowefjng ' I himself I>y the rope from the windlasj, he soon himself ptitjef the reach of the fire,' and m an atmosphere ihaij '; could sustain, life; V Xooku^ up ) h« " could see 1 the flames running along the ground .like a continuous stream ' of fire, and oc^a^onally they would lick down ; the i.well and ihrea^n^^uni even tnere. Ike windlass could ba seen burning, and iheh the; rope bfr came detached and fell dtfwn^ It'was; at once apparent, that a new danger was threatened when the supports of the win'cfiass should give* way",; and,^h» .Hid i heavy piece of timber which formed, the: drum should fall in: upon iuj|k. ■> The burning length of log at lasffdll dawn, and it was only by squeezing . closely to the side of the well that he escaped being struck by it; It was, of course, alight when it JeU, but <^c water soon extinf uished it, otherwisd it would probably hay^prpvjedi to be the means of hinu, r ; ' [PER UKTTBD PRESS ASSOCIATIOIir.] V ■ .; ; j. ■„ „MAWKB^;jßimarjr^l6. ; 1 The proprietor of the Hawera Star has cpmmissipned Mr Ll jSI Marchant, who iow represents the district; on tjie Harbour Board, and has filled various, other public positions to make an , enquiry into the damage done by "tiao late fire. He telegraphs from Stiafrford to-day: l^-" In aecordatije>witn, your instructions I have commenced an inquiry into 1 the actual amoimt %f damage done by the fire. Th us early I can state that the amount is. very large— large enough to take any 1 sum of money that can be raised to ?adequately rebeve. It is only since things have quietened down that the people are realising the full extent, ? of : j^lb loss, and wondering which way they are going to turn for the next , eight months, .the feed haying been 46stroyed, nearly all the cows are going dry, and calves and pigs. depending upon the milk are nearly starving. Many settlei« are almost, despairing now the excitement is past. New Plymouth, January 15. The Volunteer force that twas left to watch around Stratford to prevent the . spread of fire, has been withdrawn, as ma is out. The relief of thoßa^burnt out is being proceeded with. Subsections are still conung.to hand fr<?m outriders as follows:— Mayor of Auckland, £121 3s 6d ; Loan and; Mercantile Agency Co., £15; Sclandere & Co., Nelson. £5 sa, Neill, & Co., Dunodui, £5 P. Galvin, Wellington, £121. :>.., Wi ., ,-,■■: '<= V >