ANOTHER FIRE IN THE GERALDINE BUSH.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7747, 30 December 1890, Page 5

ANOTHER FIRE IN THE GERALDINE BUSH.

On Saturday afternoon a dense columv of smoker arising from the Geraldlne Bueh attracted the attention of everybody In the town. The ■ firebell was rung, , the Brigade tutaed out, and the engine was taken- to the fire. The part of the bash.on lire grows on the top of a high hill, by the foot of which fche water-race runs. 380 ft of hose wm run up the face of the hill, and water pumped into a barrel, from which 16 was carried to the hand engine, whioh was doing good work in the bush. A large crowd assembled, and Mr White, Chairman of Che Domain Board, pat on a number of. men to endeavor to stop the progress of the fire, which, fanned bj the nor'-wester, waa making sad havoc in the bush. .Fortunately the wind went dowawith the eon. and the men continuing their efforts all night were able to bold the fire somewhat Iα check, but were not abio to extinsaiab ie On Sunday jthe wind fraebeaedy&ad the flre again began to make headwAy. Mr W, Poetlethwaite, of Baukapuka-ftad on the previous day .sent a tank used by him for carting water to his engines, am thia was very serviceable for carting water up the hill to keep the-hand*englne goitijjt. Oa Sunday two more teams wltatftntts were obtained, and the larger fire<dngiae was now taken to the top of tab bill and kept supplied with water by means Q&At&e tanks. Between thirty and forty men were > kept. hard at work till late oafiaaday afternoon, when they were able: "to subdue the flames. \ Had it nob been that the fire engine was able to work on. the top of the bill, r ,bhla would have been next to impossible, asK the flre- spread fro do. tree totree&fefl considerable height from the ground, cad also ran among the dry leaves and undetsorob in every, direction. The rain wbiob fell yesterday morning had the effect Ol completing the work of the men end putting the fire quite out* Had the triad not died oat on Sato rday afternoon g&i remained calm for about twelve .hours Jj would have been impossible to have enveo the north-east corner of the bush, and i* all probability most of the township norfet of the sfiieyards would hare been burnt, As it is •an irreparable damage hit been done to several acres of fea« busb, and the Domain Board, which Ji already in debt to the extent of &W, tun been pat to a very, serious expense. {E>bßßS ASSOCIATION XSLSQBAIIA} " ' AUCKLAND. December Sfl , . The weather since Saturday has been very boisterous, with a northerly gale blowing. Last night a heavy thnad«rstorm passed over the city, and it hs&fytev raining , - in torrents frequently. xn< weather has suddenly grown cold* There was a heavy equall at Tβ' Axoni on Saturday, when hailstones half ix inch In diameter fell Iα greet quaa&tty, and a number' of panes of glass we*« broken. TIStABtT. Deeembe* ffc There whs a gefod tall of rain for fctoMw hours this morning, and It is still (9.80, falling Bicmbet'W It- rained heavily ail yeeterday wd during the forenoon to-day, bob w ba» now cleared.