BUSH FIRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 119, 12 February 1908, Page 8

BUSH FIRES.

FOREST RESERVE , ABLAZE. A SETTLER'S HARDSHIPS, (nr TELEGiiArn —special couuesfondent.) Masterton, February 11. Thousands of acres of Crown lands and forest reserves arc on'fire to-day 011 the uplands just above Mikimiki, somo'twelvo miles from Masterton. With the fresh southerly y,-ind tho position will be again most serious for a large number of settlers. Another timber reservo owned by M. Holmes of Mataliiwi, lias been destroyed, as also have two hundred acres of- milling timber just purchased from Mr. D. W. Foreman by Mr. C. E. Daniell.

One of tile worst cases of hardship reported in connection with the fires is that of Mr. E. Pain, of Mikimiki. He was a now settler, and tho firo destroyed his house while his wifo and family wore away, and also burnt up one hundred of his sheep and all his grass and fencing. His wifo and children camo back to share his troubles, and took up their quarters-in a whhre. Shortly afterwards ono of tho children, a twin a few weeks old, died, and when taking tho dead body in a coffin to the Masterton cemetery tho father had occasion to 'shift a burning log which was obstructing. the road. ■ Ho burnt his arm severely, and through tho wound getting in contact with tho new shirt ho was wearing

blood poisoning set in. Mr. Pain is now an almost helpless man. His neighbour intends to sow his grass seed for him. Another sufferer, in tho same vicinity is Mr. K. M'Kenzie, whoso has been burnt, down at, a moment's notice, the family escaping with a few belongings. The insurances : will not pay for the iron of tho new building. > • _ An instanco of the manner in which bush fires smoulder is given by a Longbush farmer, who burnt'his stumps off three months ago, arid who tho other day saw his pastures set aWaze by a spark from a root which had shown no signs of fire for weeks.. In many 1 the'trouble has been intensified'by. tho want of water. Wells aro drying up in all directions, and farmers are having to_ walk loug distances to obtain the precious liquid.-'

(BY TELEGBAPII—PHESS ASSOCIATION.) Bush fires are'raging between Eketahuna and Pahiatua, on both sides of tho railway line; and a number.'of settlers' houses are 'in danger. •' ' ! Mr.' PI- M'Barron's houso at Mangamahoo was destroyed by a bush fire on Monday afternoon.' Tho house was insured for £300 and tho furniture for £50.. There aro somo signs to-night of rain. The Fire Brigado was called out to-day to att-crid-tosmairgrass-fires in Masterton. On Mondiiy'hight tlio Railway Department removed rolling stock from . Hukanui and Newman stations, out of raugo of! tho bush fires.' ■ ■ ■' ■•' ■' • ' ' OUTBREAKS AROUND HAWERA. ' • (BY .TiUvGBAriI.—PRESS ASSOCIATION - .) ■ . : .■■..■ i Havvera, February 11. Bush fires, from .which a great part of the district lias happily' been heretofore free, broko out on the Auroa and .Mangawhero lioads, and the Stratford-Opunako Road on Sunday. ' (jrass-and bush burned'fiercely, the flames travelling at a terrific rate. Mr. Geary's .new house, also the sheds belonging to' Messrs. Campbell, Sdtchcll, and Searle, were burnt. Other places were saved with the utmost difficulty, l tho bands of workers being : blinded 'and exhausted by sraokq ami; lioat.' Territory, two niiles wideand four miles, long,'has been devastated. ■Messrs. Parkes ' arid Brooke, sawmillcrs, lost-timber and tram lines. A number of bridgos, a quantity of fencing, and much firewood was destroyed. SERIOUS LOSSES AT TAIHAPE. (by TELECItAI'II—SFECIATj COEP.ESrONDENT.) . ! -"v, Taihape, February. 11. ■ Messrs. Bovan and Gardner's mill has Suffered severely : by fire. The' wholo of; tho tramways, bridges, and- workmen's, wharves liavq been' destroyed, besides the breakingdown gear. 'Sixty thousand feet of logs were waiting on skids'to bo sawn as soon ,as water was availablo, and these, with sixty thousand feet of sawn timber, hayo' been destroyed. The saws and engine, luckily, wero saved, but the rest was lost.

' Mr. B.'"VV. Smith's mill, near by, had a; rough handling, the tramways and -bridges being lost) although tlio mill \va3 saved by dint of hard . work. Settlors on the Ohutu Block-are fighting fires which threaten to seizo their holdings. ' . . The whole district is suffering from a water famine, and -tho outlook is exceedingly gravo. There is m sign of tho muchneeded rain;, and ,fater is being cartcd into tho town- for' uso.