BUSH FIRES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2096, 23 January 1908, Page 3

BUSH FIRES.

WELLINGTON AA’ItAPPEI) IN

SMOKE.

(Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 22. For many days smoke lias been rolling down the llutt Valley, and today the sky has made it plain that fire has raged far and wide up the lino. The sun has been struggling to shin© all day, but can do nothing hut cast brassy tints upon the city occasionally. This morning the harbor was a spectacle pretty and mystical enough to make the most eom-morcial-minded man in 'Wellington have a momentary thrill. The calm water was like liquid gold m the smoke-stained sunshine, and the warships, with their hunting gaily llnitering, were deeply tinged like phantoms of tho deep. The houses along Oriental Bav barely peered through the haze, and they seemed tike the advance guard of a vast eitv, obscured by fog. I’etone and other distant points of the shore are hidden from view, and the smoke veil is a curtain which hides the sad happenings far away, and some of the ho.i-day-mnkers had an emotion of sympathy for the sufferers beyond the screen. . Passengers who came ut trotn the "Wnirarnpn at 1 o'clock to-day say that the country was blurred by smoke along tho whole route, hut the fire seemed to be con lined to the lower slopes of the i m anias.

BUTTER FACTORY IN DANGER

“AYHERE AY ILL THE FIRES STOP?”

Press Association. EKETAHPNA, Jan. 22. The tires are still spreading throughout the district, and tins afiernoon wovkud utv closo to Parkville, in the Ek'etahumi Borough. J'ears arc entertained for the safety of several houses and the N.Z. Farmers’ D iiiy L'nion Butter Factory. A large body of workers have been secured, and are preventing 'the nearer approach of the 'Are. The surroundings of the factory are being constantly played on with hose, and will have to he carefully watched all to-night. The wind is very tricky, which makes the. work much harder. It is impossible to say where tho fires will stop if the present weather continues.

HAYSTACKS ON FIRE

NATIVE SCHOOL THREATENED

Frsit Asiociation

BLENHEIM, Jan. 22. A fire broke out in the oatsheal stacks on Mr. Alfred Litchfield s farm early this morning. Two new stacks and one old straw stack were destroyed. The fire engine was run out and saved the remainder. A fresh outbreak on the same x inn occurred this afternoon. The estimated loss is £2OO. There is no insurance. A dense pall of' smoke enveloped the whole country as the result of the bush fires in the 11 ai Valley and the Sounds. The AVaikawa Native school was yesterday -reported to be in danger.

A AA'ALL OF FIRE

FISH DYING IN THOUSANDS

Press Association. NELSON, Jan. 22

Yesterday was the worst chav vet with fires m AVangapeka and Alotueka A T alleys. A strong south-easterly breeze blew the smouldering bush into flames, and a wall of fire came up and down Tadmor hills towards Tawamera. Two thousand acres ol grass at A\ T angapeka was destroyed, and now 7 settlers are greatly concerned as to how to save their stock, as there is no feed left. Fortunately, a change of wind in the afternoon drove back the fire, or thousands of acres of other dry feed would have been destroyed. The rivers are lower than they have been for many years. Tadmor river is dry in many places. All over the district trout are dying in thousands, and several fish six or eight pounds in weight have been rescued from drying pools. Nearly 700 trout were removed from a brook at- Nelson to Matai, and hundreds in the country districts were similarly saved. The principal sufferers in AVangapeka and Motvteka Valleys are Messrs. Goodald, Moffatt, Wells, Hodgkinson, Smith, Paul, Drew, and Griffiths. The sky is cloudy and the weather moderately cool, but the rain holds off. Fire round Nelson, Wangamoa, -and Maungatapu blackened the hills and filled the town with smoke.