Bush Fires at Mahoenui.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7758, 9 March 1905, Page 4

Bush Fires at Mahoenui.

L'().\'Sil>KJ{A|!l.K It A.MAC l : ;, ■Mr I. Klliot, who returned to W'ni.ara irom Malioenui on Saturday, las gheu the Mail an account, of :he bush lires which did a considerible amount of damage to his own * md Mr G. Kiddell's property On Thursday, the 23rd ultV., when Ihe weather was almost calm, the little wind blowing down the river 'that is, away from the occupied ' sections) Mr H. J. Matthews started to burn fern and light scrub oil his place. The' Stuff did not catch well,, and it had to In- lighted often and in several places. On Friday the wind shifted suddenly, blew harder, • and the smoke became somewhat dense. ( Mr Matthews at once notified his ! neighbours of the posh ion. mid not a little anxiety was displayed ail ; round but on Friday night the Wind dropped a little, and rain full. It was then thought there would be I no more trouble, but Saturday morning came out hot, with a drying wind, which in the afternoon increased in force to such an extent as to make the position worse than before. Cattle had to <be shifted from one paddock l to another, and it was necessary to keep a close ■watch on buildings, as sparks were travelling long distances. I Mr Elliot stayed up all the Saturday night. The sight of 1000 acres on fire, he says,, was magnificent, and the roar of the flames tremen- ■ dous. lie and Mr M. Elliot rode , | down the property on Sunday morn-, jing, the smoke then being almost blinding, and the flames still threatening in several]' directions. They met Mr E. Julian, Government Road ! Inspector, driving in a gig, with Mi's I Julian, both being anxious to iget through. Mr Elliot endeavoured lo prevail upon them not to proceed .along the road (the lire raging on .both sides), but to follow through jtlie paddocks. Mr Julian thought. |hc would try it, and as he seemed ,to have made up his mind, Mr El- . liot turned to go tuck, ami when he 'looked again there was bo sign of (the trap, so it was presumed that ! Mr Julian had gone through. The horsemen went on, and coming out on the (road further up, looked for wheel marks, but there were none to be seen. They thought then that . the vehicle had lieen cut oIT, and the idea became! more ii.xed when Mr jKiddell's manager came down and I said he had seen nothing of Mr ,)u----lian. The parly then galloped back to where they had spoken the trap, when to their great relief it was found the vehicle had turned and 'gone back instead of attempting the hazardous drive through the smoke 1 and flames. I Towards evening the lire slackened down, and on Monday the danger of 'spreading was over. I Mr Elliott lost about I'JI) acres of (good grass, and a considerable amounT. of fencing, while Mr Kiddell's burnt)' grass probably totalled 4 ">0 gcres. Ho lost a two-roomed hut, -air,l some of his fencing is also gone, but as in Mr Elliot's cus? the damage was mostly trough trees falling and snapping the wire. | There is the cunsjlation to <he .owners that the land will bo greatly ,lienelited by the lire, and the preseut gloss will be doubly made up by future gain. Mr Klliet says the country up there will be for many years subjected to the fires, and settlers have to make up their minds for them whether they like it or not. lie is emphatic in his opinion that. Mr Matthews lighted his fires at a propel time, and is in no way lo blame for the spread of the flames. The. change of the wind and its intensity were alone responsible for the trouble.