BUSH AND GRASS FIRES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 47, 14 February 1908, Page 2

BUSH AND GRASS FIRES.

i>KI(IOL'.S OUTIiIiKAK DO',\ N Uih COAST. | T'illi lIOUM'KV ABLAZE. \ (From Our Kahotu CoiTc-poiukuii. | To the dishitenssted observer wlto i;.i- j jio property at slake a tire in a j dry uUsiJi elearjng presents a grain! ami I picLuresijue. yet Withal awe liiripiring. ; scene. More particularly is tin?, liie ia.-e at night. A» iai a- r;in no seen every tree is a mas* of Jlame or redglow, aud the ell'ect of the fesioons of lire on the branctieb can be compared to the set pieces <»t a pyrotechnic display . aud thi* is heightened when every tew niiuutOb some giant rata whieh has bee.u eaten away by Ihe tlames fall-, with a resounding crash, sending Tip a shower ol sparks into the air lor a ciinrshk'ianiex, distance. Indeed, could a realistic cinematograph picture of a bti-h lire be taken and exhibited in the vanoU" towns it would be greatly admired by alt "u'ho saw it. To tho-e. however, who. blinded by ?>moka ani

-ull'ocaled by the tmiuke and )ieat. an toiling heroically to .save their homoPleads, which iiK»y have planted after years of hard work, it appears as a devouring moiisler against which a h id ami. ala.-, often an unavailing war nui-1

!»;• iimght. During tlie past two or three weeks seLtlers on Lho I'pper Kahui road tfitve been lighting against lire. 1 have already recorded instances of homesteads being burnt down, so that it is with regret that I have to record another case. Oil Sunday the tires were very bad just below the Opuuake Sawmill Company's mill, and a house,, owned by -Mr. JL .Morrow w;is destroyed, as already reported. On Monday a little rain f-cil, not much, certainly, but it was hoped

suflieicnt hiul fallen to check the fires. These hope*, however, proved fruitless a«s on Tuesday night the lires sprung up higher along the road, and a strong southerly wind blowing, they soon began to spread. Mrs, Ealock at once roused the settlers near by whoso places were likely to be endangered, including Messrs Mills and ltotherv's sawmill. Here. tlw mill hands. Messrs ltotherv \ three) and D. Cro/.iey. b;id a particularly warm time in saving the mill, and it waa only by strenuous exertions.-that the fire was kept in check, as the l'ooi of the milJ, a shingle one. and took lire several times, but was put out on each occasion. The mill shanties also escaped somewhat marvellously. as the timber was burning alongside. Some of the tramway leading t<> the road was burned. If is not known if the bush tram is destroyed. During the latter part of tlie day all those who had assisted in saving the mill were completely knocked out. and aliuos ! ; blinded bv the smoke.

About daylight a live-roomed house, owned by Mr. J.ysaght. of N'ormanby. and occupied by his manager. Mr. I. Clark,, was completely destroyed. There was no water hiiudy. and it was impo.--sio'-e to »:ive it. 'lhe ii):• burne<j so

lieroeiy iliat ih:» fov. \* wer-.» unable to escape, aivl w\ i<' lua-sietl. F.vrtnnate'y. howe\er. ni:»t of (h- furniluj-e and about CiK» worth ot gia>•?••,! wai, -nved, ;is when Mr. Cl.trk mw the icuh'e was in danger lie removed the c- ntent-. to a Mtfe )));na- \\ j. cvpe-ied that a largt' namfier of /heep will h;iVtyje'rislied in tliv' bush lire. - tlie lire i-pread so <jiiiek]y 111: it i. ; iey miihi nut be go;

Mi'. Wilkn.giiby. who )i\v- Imut down i the l-oad. removed hi< family to Air. Stone's iv-ddcn-v. it n.l -dpi" of j lii»; ['iiuiiliifli-. a-. he c\ jnv' (•;! his house > n» L.'" at any lime, i»n' il c-raped by a miracle. Air. plan' also o-caped. though .-urrouuded I>y fire. The r'-nioUe v.a< dreadful, atw considerably hindered operations . Lower down tin* road the Ojmnake Sawmill Co.'* properly was in danger, and Messrs Cyd". Bcnneii, Ilemming\vay, Coffey. and others had an anxious time. ii cseiiped without any damage, until later in the day when a little train waii burnrd. A bridge was in consid* | crable danger. but was saved. | 'I lu* strenuous work continued all | Wednesday. but the settlor-; and othevs nt Iho lop nf the rcnul "were *o ex- | hnu-ted lliat word was sent to llahotu jof the stale oi T alfairs. and a relief party was nt onre organised. consisting of Constable Kelly, Messrs j'lnllips. W. Duggan. P. Duggan, Gray, A. Wood, and .). Smith, who ai once proceeded ,ip to KatockV, and Mills and Hothery'.s ami enabled ihose who hat\ been toiling -o iianl in obtain a little rest. Messrs 1 laker and (iareia remained at llie lower mill. During the e\ening a culvert n-U' the school caught lire. 'l'he school had a narrow fi-'-ip?. U was impossible to hold sdioi'-l, a rid Air. Morgan accordingly dismissal t children. A pile under Mr lilmuningway's house can-lit live, but was i-utini.il-]V notk-ed :tnd extiuiitii-hed. Al'out o iun liir? (Thursday! morning the wind dropped, and the danger was over lor ;i while, if Iho wind rise-s later in the day. damage will re.-ult. All worked well, and th>>'e is no doubt thil had the settlers and mill hands not worked hard against almosi overwhelming odds the damage would have Ik»o« greater. After the fire at Lysaght's Messrs Clark, Boniface, and S. Willoughby rendered valuable ; assistance at tlie other fires. |

Tlie whole country is ablaze. and it is probable further damage will lie reported. Tlie whole country lor mi 1,.5 around is enveloped ill smoke. I.N' THE WAII'AISAI'A DISTRICT. Per Press Association. Kkctahuna, Thursday. The bush tires have freshened in the llukanui di-trict. I'ily's sawmill was burnt, with the four cottages adjoinin:,'. A home occupied by -Michael was buruv, 'lhirty men have been put out of work. I Ik: 10-s oil the mill is estimated at .t'liMKl.

The Kkfl;ihnu;i cemetery w;is swept by iirc. Kenee* and some headstones Imve been destroyed. au«.l others much damned.

Liuge n| have been bur.-it ill Wiikala ami Aewmau. IX AI'CKL\M) DISTRICT. Auckland. Thursday. Since yolwlay afternoon the town and harhur l>:i\e ooen enveloped in ovid'euUv in.tii five*.

A Dargavillc feh'jrram -lates lint .sevoral lmndr:<l aere< ol' (lax liave ln-vn <Tr-i i»y Hi;- lin..- wijicli arc 111 rh.' -wainp-i ol' tho Kaiiiu district. Downey and Clear are ihe priiif-ip.il

An c.Nrur^iihi train \-.it!i ---In»1 rhiidren ami iwu Inindred and adulls wa-j Iclayed half an )\<\\\v by a lire whidi aern>s !hc railway. Taer; 1 arc lm<h Hit- in every <tirt>eion. Darji-ivilk' is covered with moke.

Kxteiwivc fir-'*-. ;r,e ra«ing in ibc Ohiiii Block, live mill's fi'<on { !ovc J.u-. uaii'oa Snifli. Si \l-: a I linn-c< l; ; ;v bcrii buriK'd. A CovenniH'iil -{••:-ncvy rc-r;-i\' i- in d'in-j.'r. ,\ir. W. Wiikir a-k- 11, in cn-.-rl i Is<• -taii-nii-iM that the iires were on his farm at Carrington road on Wed-n"-day. 'l'he property Mr, Wells'. JjAJUACii: i.x TAIIJM'v. Dia'iUCi'. L;'i.n iga iAdvice-, j'vor.i 'J'aUiape -lale lhat lire* iii (lie Waimarino district e.used co;isiderable damage through the wind vising yesterday and last night. Commiuiication i- liroken. but t'rojn icport- to band ii is known that many fccii.lers around (Hjakune ami .Rangataua Juul a trying time, houses -were detetroyed and other caught lire, but the Hauies weie Mippicssuil after a little ' damage had been done. One live-roomed dwellinghiiiise and outbuildings were burnt down litLlu being saved. There i< a gi-c.M loss i»f luiy and winter feed. .Several settlers are isolated and cannot obtain help. The milk supply is interrupled. only iwo suppliers getting to the creamery (his morning. Tlie Mauiigauiiialeao Valley is a mass ui lianie», and ciini))S Irive been destroye<L J'ijis are waging from tlie iot<* viaduct to ilie Toanui viaduc.t. Falling trees ; uv expected to Interfere with coach trallic in the Wnimarino. The .Kangataiia station nearly went \ esterday. ' A> the wind is again .ve--viving, the danger is not half over. A. ami door l;ictory and a butcher's shoj) at lloropilo were destroyed. The (ioverinnenl. stores had to be moved to a. cement shod. The lircs ai latest advice? wore spreading to Mafnroa. Koiuerville Block is in llames. destroy* ing fences ami green bush. The settlers •

are fighting the flames day aud night, and are removing I heir furniture to places of safety. Tlie sawmill in SOmerville Block has had iU tramway* destroyed, and bridges have been stripped of Iheir decks in order to save tHm from (he eouflagvatiou.