Terrible Fire in Hawakes Bay

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 98, 20 March 1888, Page 2

Terrible Fire in Hawake s Bay

THE TOWNSHIP OF NOBSE-

WOOD DESTROYED

SCORES OF PEOPLE HOMELESS.

] PEE UKITKD PBESS ASSOCIATION, i Napieb, March 18.

On Friday afternoon a fire broke out at Norsewood and burned all day and far into the night, destroying j nearly the whole township. Owing to wires being down full information has only just been received. At 10 o'clock a furious gale rose and brought sparks, from some clearings some distance away. The winds prevailing the previous days had dried everything to tinder, and the sparks set the grass and logs on fire, and, soon spreading, the fire was racing over the country toward Norsewood village. Unfori tunately there were a very few men at home, the majority being away at work, many of them at considerable 1 distances. The women and the few men in the settlement were powerless to check the spread of the fire, and it is doubtful if all had been at home whether they could have been more successful, as the sparks were flying on the wings of the gale as thick as hail. By dint of almost superhuman efforts a few places were saved by draping them with blankets kept continually wet. This was an arduous task, as the smoke was suffocating and the heat intolerable. Aggravated by the terrific force of the wind, which had now become a hurricane, jt was soon seen* that to stay in the village was impossible, and the woman and children began to hurry away by the road fetill left open. Of course the people could take nothing with them, and the fire was left to work its will. The children were as usual at school in the afternoon, and the news coming of the disaster the school was dismissed; but as some of the children essayed the task of returning home, and were driven back by tbe smoke and flames, the schoolmaster with commendable discretion re- assembled them, and marched them to Te Whiti clearing, a mile away from the school toward Kopua, where they and several families Temained till the rain came on in the night, when they sought shelter with the settlers round about or returned to Norsewood and obtained shelter in the hotel building, which was ccowded with women and children now without house, or home, or raiment. It is impossible to detail the progress'of the fire, for it seemed to break out simultaneously in all parts of the township, and many plaeob were burned after the people left. The following places are known to have been totally destroyed : — Public buildings — Lutheran Church (a fine building), Wesleyau Church, Public School and master's residence, The Club and Scandinavian Library, Temperance Hall; shops — Hearn's bakery, Pettersen's blacksmith shop, Hegh's • store, Thomassen's saddlery, Weatlake's store ; dwellings: -Small, storekeeper (occupied by Mr J. B. Dun), Olsen, Magnussen, Bowerman, Sanders, Mortensen's accommodation house, Rev. Bees, Bey Chnstoffersen,

Key Neilsen, Ole Christoffersen, Korai Johansen, Nocplihansen, Torkelsen, Inglebredtsen, P. Svensen, Joseph Moran, Mrs Ingwaldsen, Olsten, and Woolstenholme. Beside these, many barns, outhouses, stacks, and miles of fences were destroyed, and it is feared that news of further disaster from the surrounding clearings will yet be received. Ormondville was next theatened, and an important country bridge was destroyed. The church at Ormondville seemed doomed when a heavy downpour of rain set in. At the Mangaroa the fire reached to the railway line and a strong party of men were set to watch the big trestle bridge, which was in some danger. The new county bridge at Papatuwas threatened, and was also anxiously watched. The bush on both sides of the line at Kopua was all ablaze, and furnished a grand sight to the passengers by the late trains. At Ashley Clinton the settlers were threatened with a devastating fire, and two dwellings were destroyed, those of William Cook (insured), and Christian Jensen. A stack of hay was blown completely over during the gale, and was afterward destroyed by the rain. The thunderstorm at this point was truly awful, and the residents of the AshleyClinton district had but little sleep through the long wild night. Great as the disaster was it certainly would have been greatly magnified but for the providential occurrence of one of the most terrific thunderstorms every experienced in the district. The rain literally poured down in torrents. All night long the storm raged in fury and the rain obliterated the last smouldering embers. With large families dozenß of poor settlers have been made homeless or have suffered severe losses, and public subscriptions are already being raised to alleviate the distress. Insurances are not yet known, but are not large considering the magnitude of the fire.