THE BUSH FIRE'S REIGN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 105, 27 January 1908, Page 8

THE BUSH FIRE'S REIGN.

BEAUTY SPOT MARRED. FOREST RESERVE At masterton. ' IBT TK-EGEAPH— SPECIAI. COnBESPONDBST.j . _ v Masterton, January 26. ' • Yesterday afternoon, a'bush fire, supposed to ; have - been by a. fisherman, greatly damaged. Messrs.'J. and H. Holmes's / line fifty-acre forest resenro jat Matahijvi, ' three miles from'Masterton—one of the show places of . the -Wairarapa. Tho fire spread /With its usual rapidity; fanned-by a southerly wind, and aided by . dry standing cocksfoot and underscrub, it made its way to all parts of the forest. • . ' A gang of' about one hundred mon were • engaged in beating back tho flames from I , plantations' separating the bush from the homestead, and were successful, - although the wind .was from a wrong position to cause y any particular danger to' tho • homestead. Messrs.-! Holmos's ' creamery outbuilding, managed by Mr. Liddington, was for some timo in considerable danger. Tho Masterton Firo Brigade visited the place at seven i o'clock last riight, but could afford no help) , owing to 'scarcity of water. . > . ' \ The wind changed l at intervals, and kept Jho fire mainly toone.spot. Thore are a large number of /ratas in: the bjish. .These, whon.green, frequently burn, for weeks, and tho fife will -probably .bo a source, of danger till rniiu comes!'., During the progress of the lire, George Manson, one.' of Messrs. Holmes's employees, lost practically-all;his belongings. The destruction of ' this fine - bush resorvo ~..js a~ great blow to,the .Holmes family, who • had taken the greatest caro to preserve it during the past thirty years it has' been, in their possession. Portions of the arca .had, '.been"planted with' English trees, ■in addition to Native .bush, and a" piecc was. reserved for illastcrton picnic parties: . Its value was many. thousands. of pounds, biit Mr. Holmes would have refused any offer, of money-for tho property. .