GRASS AND BUSH FIRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 93, 13 January 1908, Page 7

GRASS AND BUSH FIRES.

SERIOUS OUTBREAK IN WAIRARAP4 ' saavmill burnt/ < ' A ZONE OF EIRE f ' (B7 TEIiGBArn—SPECIAL ) 3 ». , Masterlon, Jonuary 12 ' ; v.Tho. Mount Bruce district, the sceno of a ■ v i Ifirgc vhidi destroyed Messig Cora- x'' dine and Wbittaker's flanmijl, was msi ted by a lioMiNfoN refreßentati\e to-day The dies rightiu^. l in; tho .lower ranges. . ; ■-la of the Tararuas, not far .from the source of L ..tijio Birerj' and about seventeen i miles .from. Masterton. j From" setUcrßV''*re- . - -;' l' r ; . personal -inspection, . it, 1 . appeared that the iiic. >vas of considerable magnitude, the total area under fire on ■ - i d&yf evening bemg: estimated: at several thou-;■; vi sands of acres." - Settlers, mill-hands> . and. , '; . it ' i their-, families had a most trying time, bub all displayed mdrtnlitnble pluct , r '

. The fire started on Thursday, and under;a ;. f gale swept - down upon the sawnnU, . 1 . which was : m the .centre of a , rone of fire,, -.-■extending - all i around. - ; Late.' in tho after- ■■' •ltoou' it 'was .found that :tlie road , leading, to . -Haspwfcll's ivas blocked;, and as it waß feared ithat- nothing.: could eavo l : tho^-mill buildings 'anjli-residences- near; by,'-: and- egress over. , i the'.-mountain, on ;tlio .SfasWrton side wa^. 1 i threattiiledj -it decided to remove the. ■ . womon and children &.long this line of-routtf ■ ■ to" the rosidcnce of. Mr. C, A. Wall, three, miles farther on, alongside tho stoop banks • , "of the Ruamahanga ' There wero four, women; wives ,of : mill- . ; ■ bauds)- and five clnldren, .tlle |,wo youngest of whicli wore three' months iold.- The joilrney,, r. ;-was made "with; great-difficulty,, tho, fugitives ■being half-blinded with smoke, 1 -but all arrived . sdfely' atf^Mr.'•!Wall's, residence at about .9• ' onv TjWrsday ' evening. Tho: goods and • • • chattols of the m\ll-hauds had in tho nic.ni. timo boon removed and bunod, some.mpits,1 and soino' in the basin of -the Ruamahanga. , ■At tho timo when tho. women and children , arrived at Mr. Wall's the firo was also threa-, toning his cottago, and tho whole party made, preparations ita retire > to 'shelter under, .the , big • river 4 banksj V if-'; tbG wor.st- canio to the . worst, i Happily the wind changod, and tho . fire boat-backwards; ..,i. • .

In the me"antimo ii vigorous rr/T(! T»] ca> < ■ned"the-fire-nght-iountr-l'rt<niC.!i,;eav'ing.iß., untouched. A watch was 7?cpt at night by; , tho seventeen mill-luluds., Tnoy were v just... about to congratulate themselves next .mornhngi whoiudbwnScawo the fn 0 againfanned by a stronger wind than beforo. The men fought Uia flimos With desperation* although. : half-blinded -by. smoke; and half-scorched by. / heat. It was, honbvoi, all to, no purpose., Late that afternoon all they could do was ito lie almost ejdiaustod on burnt fields ana .'watch the-triumph-of tho elomont. - . Mr. 1 John Groustrom, who was up for two days and two nights, said that, tho, fire travelled with iternblo spoed, .owing to . tha 'dry naturq of tho.timbor. l'ofty or nity, acros of bush would be'covcrodin flamos ln.a* ■. few' minutes '■ Nd l .ud was given by the 'pastureb, which nero fair r green m the Mount Bruce neighbourhood. ■.■When- the mill . Was cone, and the four or five whares winch.,/ '• aid dfit'y a'B'dwelling houses, tho men wor« k givan "shelter by Mr Wall S'/Cnf-Fridav 1 Ovenmg Mr./ Rait s house was. .'surrouhdoil. by* fire...: ,He 1. fought tho flamoar • till lie'' was blind,- 'when lib - retired to 111s house to let tho fire do its worst. It camo to iWithm-ini ifew foot ' of tho hoilsc, and, thou ... 'drifted''4^,>y • Mr. Bait, much to his surprise, found himself a whole-man with roof- , over l jiim.. So fears that he has lost a largo ;£htount Fires aroiiiow abating, but their'! severity lis:shown:.. ; m ~tlio *great.. blackened areas and tho .< appearance of the sheep, which have changed colour from a, 'snowJAvWto«to a dirty black .aim tan.: >. Mr:- Coradine, who; was. uninsured, jestimates' his loss if "£2000:: He . me that his' firm had got ovdr most' of: lte di&-... cliitles iii connection, with the sawmill. ihere was about/ anbther twelve, or cigliwcii ' nibntlis' outtihg, ( ' but itwould ..not pay to erect ".the mill again: A considerable loss. . ■was'th'6'sleam hailler, £500.: It , "tfas law in' tho .busli, cut. off through, tha burning -of i the . bridges bii, the tram line.Very little'timber'Wis' at the null at thff "time of tho fire. The waggoners* ! work during the Chrjstaas, holidays,; . -had .rouioved nil the timber to Masterton. Mr, Coradino ascribes tho fire to , tJie thoughtlessness', of. some settler jrho • a good burn.,- It is probable that the matter iwiillbO farther ventilatml'in 1 tlio law courts*

NARROW ESCAPES AT WAIONE.

, rs-j- WHOLE.DISTRICT AFlftE. SETTLERS ESCAPE TONIGHT CLOTHES. ,(I)V TlilcECnAl'll —rIJESS ASSOCIATION.) /*, ' '' Danhavirke, January 11.;Tho Wnicno correspondent of the- "Dally Pi ess" telegraphs that great domago has been dono by- bush fires.' On Friday. wgj> fc Air Peok's four-roomed house was destroyecl. • Karly tliia morning a son of Mr. M Hardy s wis' awakened bv the window of his.room falling in, and Mr. M'Hardy and his family . lmd to make a hasty .retreat ra. their night ; clothes. The' house, which contained seven rooms,- was destroyed. , .- • • u Tho hush fires extend right from Waione to Pongaroa, and it is dangerous to tan el m tho district... Settlors routld 1 Waiouo town< jsbip.larb fighting the fires., ' , H YSTWELL'S CREAMERY DESTROYED. ■ Eketaliuna, January 11. : Los and grass fires have been raging_ fof two davs' at Hastwell's cud Mangamahoe. Tho creamery at Hristwcll, was burnt, besides several wliarcs and outbmldings. :An extonsivo area of grass has been burned; and miles of fenemg destroyed; -One. settler lost'loo sheep and. 200 »oros of. grassOther losses tiro not yet ascertainable. Uiir less rain conies soon, tliore is a probability of further heavy loss. • • , A DEVASTATING OUTBREAK. (DT TEHiQEAriI-SPKCIAt, COURT,SrONDENT.I ' H:*7 EStetahiirta; January 11. OnW of : the niost devastating lpi? .fires known for years is raging in the. Hastwoll and Mangniiinhoo .districts. The settlors :who have'iuftored most to..date 0. Issackson, N. Petersen, p. A. Sevmour, A. H. Wrigbton. Mr. Isaackson s losses include 100 sheep, 200rtcrcsof grass, and. a ■ milo..ofr-fonwiift. ,QtW settlers aro unablo yet' to' ascertain their loss,; as tho fires art still .burning, It is anticipated, however,, that the total loss will run into hundreds-founds.' • W ' Tho fires are spreading over a wido area, and unless rain soon falls thcro will be increased 1 . , Tho Wairarapa County Council s pound at Alfrodton was. destroyed by.fire Inst evening tinder suspicious clreumstanccs, \ . GRASS FIRES. ON THE RANGES, i , ; Carterton, January 11. Large grass fires swept along , the raiißC« yosterday in tlio vicinity of Mount-Holds-worth) doing considerable! damago. Long stretches of fencing Svere burnt, and several sheds and out-buildjj)gs * .demolished. Tho country is exceedingly dry; and parched, and badly in noed of raiii. ' ' ' ■ Hundreds of . dead trout arc floating on the surface of tllft Miumgaterero stream—presumably poisoned by ashes falling into the stream. ' . HOMESTEADS IN DANGER. [BT TELEGRAPH. —OWN COItRKSTONDBOT.] 'Carterton, January 11. Thoro is a disastrous bush fire raging in the Maung'ator&ro Valley, and as a high wind is blowing grsvo fears aro ontertained as to tho safety of this liolnostead. Word has roachcd that Mr. Wad-hamVwoolshod,-containing, his. clip of lamb--tv;ooU tQCfliher^Titk-M*.. A, Push's- W

j been destroyed. It is, also reported that p. Mr-Welch's woolshed-is threatened,'and that i\ continued effqrts must bo niado to save Mr. Harris's homestead. . . >: OUTBREAKS IN POVERTY BJIY. >. CfsQorne; January 11.7 (Jraos and log fires, extending over a wide ' area 0f... country-..inland, aro proceeding, i These aro regarded with great' satisfaction ; by settlers, as they will do an amount of valuable clearing. Tho weather continues i '■ very hot. . SERIOUS LOSSES IN MARLBOROUCH. ' WIDESPREAD grass fires; ! The'"Marlborough Herald" of Friday last thus describes -tho. devastation' wrought by fire in the Wairau Valley, on the previous- . day :— ■■ -. ~ - C.;. The'- property that ■ has -.suffered,.to the : • greatest extent is Bankhouso, the fine estate ■ , in the 'Wairau Valley, six miles from Ren-,' wicktownj and thirteen from Blenheim. A. >. representative of the'"Herald," who hap-. pened .to' bo', in Renwicktown last evening ! when tho hurried message: for ■ assistance arrived;'drove to Bankhouse arid saw theconflagration at its height.. It was a regrettable, but magnificent spectacle. . At about sovon o'clock an ominous lurid glow, ■ momentarily expanding, suffused the western horizon, and smaller constellations of fire .flickering at various points through the : Smoke haze clothing the neighbouring range of hills, lent effect to the scene. "Bankhouse is on firo" was passed from mouth to mouth, arid Renwick's township became agog, with excitement. Presently tho startling re- - port, came that the homestead was burnedJo the ground, and this, accompanied by an urgent request, for hands to, assist in fighting' the fiery enemy,-sent many men driving, rid- • ing, ,a'nd" cycling towards tho' glare. , THE SCENE OF DEVASTATION. 'N When the pressman reached Bankhouse— . about 9 o'clock—masses of nrojvere greedily ; devouring the plantations and other fegeta- : tion on the ranges at the rear of the homc- . ' ! stead. The track of the fire had then covered several miles, and was widening at a rapid rate.' Tho i adjoining country was vividly illuminated, and great banks or smoke : rolled skywards.... The y stables and other buildings a few yards from tho homestead, were burning to the ground, and the .' house stood out sharply! in the .glare of • these .ruins and tho light of incipient out- ( breaks', here .and there in .the hedges and trees. Forty or fifty men, rest-, , ing from the trying' work of. fire-heating, or j preparing to join the ranks, were scattered , about tho backs verandah, and in the, kit- j . chen. The dull roar of the flames mingled , with their voices, and .the ; pungent smoko, , ( rolling in thickly, liopfc their.:eyes .smarting j and their throats sore., ■ ( ■ Bankhouse?- comprising, some 30,000 acres, j ■' carrying about 13,000 sheep, .'is one of the most thickly-wooded'pastoral estates ,on this ; side- of the Wairau River. Planted on a. ( liberal scale, in the early days,-it is protected and beautified by extensive clumps of fir trees covering many acres and hills Am'ong these handsome' trees the fire has ( wrought sad havoc, and in this respect alono' ■( tho loss is irreparable. ; , HOW THE FIRE STARTED. ' j Tho -fire broke, out-at:!about 2.3o,yester- 1 _ 'day afternoon. Mrs. 'Munro, owner of tho i estate,;;was absent; and Mr. Corbett, man- 1 ager, was at Mr. H:. D. : Vavasour's house ,i ■ .at Ugbrooke. Messrs. H. Munro and P. j i "" . Munro, sons of ; Mrs.' Munro, wore 'on the i estate, and the usual complement of em-' V ployees. Some firing done by. Mr. H. 3lunro at a spot on " The Narrows/' in the' 't tern .portion of the estate, about five miles t from the homestead, accidentally 'ignited'" a f \ bush, and, despite Mr..-. Munro's prompt \ efforts, the flames quickly spread beyond all c ; I. hope of restriction. The fire, leaving a long a . line of blazed and .burning trees in its'track, t rapidly reached-the. homestead block, and 1 encroaching on the pines on tlie, flat, ignited , t the stables'and coach-houses immediately be- :v hind the -house, reducing them to ruins, a The,traps, horses, ;and most of the other - contents were savec]; and the wool-shed, and c >ther buildings furthor away , were protected. a The homestead, itself ' was ■ greatly endan- i gered, and. would have-gone but for, the l t unremitting watchfulness of those who. pro- t tectod it. ■ ' . ;

Vt hen the Herald " represoptativo left at three o'clock this morning about 100 men were fighting tlio flames, which had gone over Maddocks's range and reached the lower flats, many miles from the starting point. The conflagration made a most ftnpre'ssivo sight;' Fiercely burning lines of lire were running up the hills, and the flat itself away over to the east was a veritable sea of fire. _ Communicating with Waihopai this mornS' learn that the firo has' been got' under command. It spread over about 4000 acres. ."

another conflagration. The_Riverlands Estate, about four mites from Blenheim, was the scene of-a devastating grass fire yesterday. . The outbreak occurred at about noon, and is attributed to a 'spark froni the SeddonBlenheim tram. About 1200 acres of grass . and tussock—comprising good sheep country - m» wliat is known as Fifteen and Sixteen swept by the fire;- and but for a hre which a few weeks" ago-burned some 400 acres, and which is attributed to o similar cause, the area damaged would . undoubtedly have been much mdro extensive. This burnt patch effectually checked the progress of the fiery element. - -A strong nor'-west wind', fanned the flames; and the work of the fire-beaters, who stuck gallantly to their work, was of a most arduous nature. liiverlands is the property of Messrs. W. Bell and Sons. Mr. Robt; Bell, who occupies ,' the homestead, was indefatigable in his direction of the fire-fishtmg operations, and wa3 generously assisted by his neighbours. But ror a patch of ploughed~land tho fire would m all probability .have encroached on the front portion of the estate, and caused much more sorious darna^o.