Incidents of the Bush Fires at Stratford.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1616, 23 January 1886, Page 2

Incidents of the Bush Fires at Stratford.

Mr J. Hill, one of the settlers whose housie Was burnt, put out some of his clothes where- he considered they would be safe. After the excitement was over he remembered that one of the garments contained', some money m notes. , On returning, he f qund hardly a t vestige ,6.f clotliing^" remaining', the fire .. haying caught, it, hut jjart of a pocket, with' jthe notes jinjiag^was^und. i^.^..\.\ I r \Yhere one of the Burnt housed stood at one end can be seen a dpg-.cha^n-with a hejap of cinders, Tins' is tile' remains of the; .house , fAttep the family* bad - -get solne!disfan'cekway^Jrom3^e;'ib.u[i(n;--ing house, the dog's piteous howls prevailed on one of |he yotinger^me'n to go back to rescue i thV^anihVfrientl. ing ihis face with his hatband crouching ; low; to avoid the sweeping flames, he , rushed 'to unloose' the chain. 'He found ; it too hot to be touched, so Had to leave thej animal to its f ate.In some of -the^half cleared- paddocks ; cittl6; .were driven, into a corner, ; by ; tlie flrej and j where , the fences, were ' too , strong : f or. th'e maddened ' aninials to : break through, their carcasses tell of 1; thejr'fateV' • ' : '•■'"•'■ '" [' j ' : ;' : - ; • The same peculiarity was noticed.;in the recent .yisitatton r as existed, ..during Maori. { War.' "Th(f settlers wna were m tha| centre of the trouble, and who were the ones uio'st 'liable to damage, were r the least excited. In facti until the parties r . from New Plymouth went out to quench the fire, and -communicated their, own spirit to the country districts, the settlers did not realise their danger. It was :. sthis verj& fact that allowed such great hayoc'to'be 1 played J ar6uhd' S^ratfofdi ¥ '?o r f the settlers not -realising their position did not .make any preparations. — Taranaki Retold. \ i:t ..: ; v „, »,.