BUSH FIRES ON THE TRUNK RAILWAY ROUTE.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 139, 30 January 1886, Page 6

BUSH FIRES ON THE TRUNK RAILWAY ROUTE.

1 A correspondent sends the following account of destructive fires in' connection »>!•.,, .'ii lv')l v') a.'." 1 ? »sjr-/ -' . '" "•.' I' with the works now progressing at row-a? Taroa, tunnel contract, on the North Island %runV Railway :— " On Friday last, I Was here when there was a very,, large fire on O'Brien's contract, which continued all night until Saturday, when it worked its way to near the 48 mile peg, doing great damage to the timber" which was falling to clear the line. During dinner time, w,hile Mr OBrien and his men were absent, the fire made great way on them, and when they arrived on the scene, they tried' hard to stop its progress, but without success. The fire . worked its way into the sawn timber, • which' was ''for making' waggons, and the pile driver frame, and the timber for the Government office at the tunnel • About £75 worth was destrojqpd. Then it made • its way over towards the Government '■ building- ju3t finished by Messrs Smith and Kelson,' which was close by, and in about five or six minutes the fire waa all round the 'build ing, but vfcry luckily tor the contractors they had cut all 1 the timber close to the ground and cleared away for more than half an acre, and Mr Nelson was there on the spot working hard to save the building with what men he had lpft,and had 'great success. r He deserves Credit for what was accomplished. The heat was something awful ; trees burning up to their tops, 1 some 180 ft and some' 200 ft high, and' falling around us in different parts. ' From the 48-mile peg to very near the top of the ' tunnel is all gone, in some places about five or six chains wide. Had to keep watch on the building all night. It was terrible." •