IN THE MANAWATU.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 126, 20 February 1908, Page 8

IN THE MANAWATU.

i | FIRES.STILL SPREADING. (BT ■ TELEGRAPH—SPJSCIAI* - CORRESPONDENT.) Palmerfiton North, February 19. .'.Fire swept' down, tho Opawa Creek to Poh'aiigina last night, 'going over Messrs. Eglinton's and Hartley's ■ properties. Several settlers wero •up all- niglit fighting tho flames. >Ir. Eglinton's house was at one time surroun'ded by fire, which went through the bush' opposite tho houso. If tho wind continues, the firo will destroy tho totara. reserve.!. The breeze is still; blowing, and the flames .have,.gorio. over part of Mr; White's property.. Reports from Delaware and Awahou Soil th aro: to tho effect that tho wind has freshened up'.the"fires,'which are tho worst the district lias over experienced. ..When at" Linton to-day .I was informed that 40 men woro on .watch air night to savo il'Grogor's . mill,' \whichj i although surrounded, remains intact. Heavy .fires have been burning all day., Messrs. Hopo Bros., VYhitmore's,. and Moody's properties havo suffered considerablo damago, and tho fires are still spreading'..'Settlers are assisting 'each other to savo'their properties. A settler, who has' resided in tho district for upwards of 35' years, : states that'jthq present' is tho worst season he'-has''.ever., experienced. Stock was mustered in front of tires to-day and brought down to level country. • A MOUNTAIN FOREST ON FIRE. E.0.M." writes'; - from 'Wallaceviilo as .follows:— • : . . ." Dante. missed two. sights, each of .which would, have: enriched his. Purgatorio—llotorua. "and.a.New Zealand forest on fire. Surely nothing is more fascinating to tho poetical, or more|. terrifying to the conscience-stricken than nature • triumphant,'whether it bo the angry 'ocean'lashing itself in fury and.froth, and'rolling... iri/- its. mighty ' billows as. it .huhgrily.:i'oars; .or-a range of lofty hills sacrificing its growth -io:'a fiercely roaring-, wave of.,flame several miles .long. Such was the bush ;■ firo;'at ; Wallaceville, near .tho. Upper Huttori;! Tuesday'-evening.: Old , settlers ' of .twenty years'.-standing, remembered - nothing to. equal tho spectacle in grandeur. Apart' .from; the loss'.of a' few, hundred, sheep and of. tho. grass,.-which loss ;fell mostly ' on Mr. Alexander, d.-.mago did - not fall heavily "dir. any individual. • . ' :

- " Yesterday, afternoon tho red flashings on the far :hills to the''east, became more frequent- and ' of''longer-':duration".. Towards .tho wholo valley in'flame,-struggling through clouds of smoko towards (the next ridge. About six o'clock I 'turiipd into the;rift leading! southwards towards ; Whitemah's..Vdlleyj climbed the most for a few moments watched .the moving panorama. .Between.the gusts, 'which>boro tho. heavy, smoke along, one coula .see the. trees,; their trunks and branches outlined .'agailjst ithe', sky, ,'as the flamos -darted; up iround -tho moriarchs of the bush;' It was .pathetic-to'- see .'the hugo curling' coils;of .'red .wreathe , round. . some ' lordly. rimu. "standing .alone iri its-iagOß^i, Higher shoot the flames, ■quicker springs, tho; fircs-' to the boughs, ; arid -soon tho whole .tree is ;: ablaze.. Every, now arid ■ then a giant, falls " with .a ; crash that: .carries here, distinctly'; l . anlffl -.millions of starry.,sparks it. falls;' Hot on its mountain ■grass destined .to rot, - but in the flaming -furnace to be', annihilated: on- its own funeral .pyre.- .• ■~[ ' -.

■- " It, is. astonishing how quickly tho flames travel,, and-how,s6bn r they level the line tall: trees: : : Little ; escapes. , At- tho-distance the crackling is not heard; only tho roar of the thirsty ,wavb as of sbm'b devil's factory in-full siying.' »;•:But '. ; now ,it' is -'night.-, Tho' blaze spreads' on,-.to/the -next; range, while that which lias/alrbady suffered shows through the snioko against tli'o blue-night-sky.. From ;it vthe.'leipiiig'. blazo has/fled, but, instead, illuminations like the -glow-worm's -streaks sparkle.and-glitter. The hot, lurid network ;of dying.brands'like'a"fairy.forest, the black' ranges beneath,.the,icy stars in: tho deep ■blue -beyond,'offer ;a spectacle long "to bo remembered by tho eye-witnesses. A. picture might suggest, it'"could not describe, the . scene. ' One required "not. only to seo the jiuge red ,forest, elevated as it was among .its.rocky,surroundings;:"outlined against tho sky, ;.but 'to hear/the 'surging roar and tho crash 'of .falling timber,'and to feel the : hot, »sh-laden/air. I' . - ■

Both-, the mills suffer by losing considerablp . timber " and'/tram 'lines. But the fire -p!»ss9s > 'psi,;<the/sinoke;:rolls . away, and' the cold moon-. shines over-.-black, V| barren hills, whenco'has been seemiiigly forever, all Jjnimal and vegetabledife. Hero lies once more tho task for tho brave!", ■