THE BUSH FIRES

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2819, 10 February 1888, Page 2

THE BUSH FIRES

LATEST PARTICULARS.

We learn through our reporter, who has just come in from the bush settlement, that all danger at Hastwell's Clearing is now over," for although there has been no rain there, the determined efforts of the settlers, aided by the -important fact of the wind going down, has resulted in the fire having been got completely under control, and the sawmill and blacksmith's shop which several times caught fire yesterday aro now quite safe.

It should bo explained that the houses and property destroyed were situated on the south side of the tollgate. To the north of the gate where Mr Collotte lives, a good deal of bush was burning on both sides of the road, but no buildings were destroyed. The only danger now would be in the event of a wind springing up and then the fires would probably resume activity The following are entirely without house aud home and have almost, without exception, lost all they possess, viz,, Messrs Capper, (wife and seven children) Moorecock (wife and six children) Askew (wife and eight children) Eraser (wife and two children) Robinson (single man) and Orighton who lived in a whare and was absent from the locality at the time of the fire. With reference to the two insurances which are in existance, it may be mentioued that they were ouly effected a week ago, and that Messrs Capper and Moorcock, the insured, only hold their interim receipts, the policies not having been forwarded from the head office in Wellington yet. The amounts were £SO and £125 respectively.

The cause of the fire is unknown, but it is supposed to have arisen through the carelessness of one of the settlers,

Everything in the six houses seemed to be burnt, one chest being about the only thing that could be seen in the way of salvage.

The road is again open to coaches from Mangamahoe. With regard to the other bush fires, the ones behind Carterton and in the Fernridge locality do not, as far as we hear, seem to have done any serious damage, as they were well back on the hills. There was also a fire on the ranges at the back of Woodside, and passengers by last night's train say that all along, pretty well, there seemed to be more or less fire, making a scene of rare beauty. Lookingfrom Carterton there seemed to be a big conflagration just where the gold prospectors camps are situated and those out on the ranges have every chance of being "tried by lire,"