BUSH FIRES IN THE MOTUPIKO VALLEY.

Kumara Times, Issue 2893, 13 January 1886, Page 2

BUSH FIRES IN THE MOTUPIKO VALLEY.

RACE WITH A COACH FOR LIFE. [lnangahua Times, January 11.] The Nelson overland coach reached Reefton at the usual hour yesterday afternoon. Mr Newman reports that the country between the Inangahua Junction and Larry's Creek is'comparatively free of bush fires, but the country between the Left-hand Branch and Reefton is in flames on all sides, rendering traveling not only very uncomfortable, but not a little dangerous, the flense smoke and noise of falling trees and roar of the fire greatly alarmin" the horses. Friday's overland journey was a rather eventful one. The coach left Nelson at the usual hour, but on reaching the Motupiko Valley it was found that an extensive fire was i-agin» to the right of the route. Mr G-. New*man, however, continued his course, thinking that he could keep ahead of the flames. But in this he was mistaken, for after proceeding a few miles, and reaching a portion of the road where it was next to impossible to turn the coach, he found that the fire was of greater extent than he bad imagined, and began to realise the gravity of the danger which threatened him. The country behind him he knew to be all in flames, and therefore all hope of retreat in that direction was cat off. His only hope then consisted in his chance of heading the fire, and he accordingly put the horses at top speed, and then commenced a tace for dear life. The smoke at this time was such as to almost entirely shut out the leading horses from the driver's view, and the heat growing more and more iutense as the great column of fire colled down the hill side towards the road. The flames were now within a whip's length of the road side, and the paint on the coach side began to blister, and give out a strong odour, which caused Mr Newman to think that the awning was on fire. But being himself almost suffocated with the heat and smoke, his only thought was of reaching a point ahead where there was a break in the country, and a small stream into which he might throw himself, for his whiskers and hair had already been badly singed. To make the narrative short, the coach swept on on at a terrific pace, until reaching the point on the route already referred to, where, as expected, the fire h*d taken another direction, and the danger was over. A glance at the coach and foaming horses then revealed how terrible had been the ordeal through which they had just passed for the last mile. The horses were singed fearfully, the paint bad peeled off the coach, and the only wonder seemed to be that the awning had not ignited. Mr Newman will not forget his experience in a hurry, and few other men probably could have undergone such a trial without losing their senses. Had a burning tree fallen across the road to stop traffic, in the great speed at which it was goiDg, or had any accident, happened to the coach, there would have been no possible escape from a terrible de.ith both to driver horses. After a sufficient spell the journey was resumed and completed without furtherdifficulty.