INCIDENTS OF THE FIRE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VII, Issue 1121, 7 January 1886, Page 2

INCIDENTS OF THE FIRE.

Mr. Pitt's etsory will illußttate 1 i^t sufferings of some of the settlers iii ; tfy( bush. He has a deferred' paynte.n» section on Pembroke road e^t','about^Q?'<Jh'£im from the centre of' the ,;towiiahipV^ ! fie out fencing, and about two- o'clock no tlcefl that' the wind, which >as from a westerly direction, was ; freshening:' md immediately saw that, the fire on" the other «ide of tjlff t^wns^ip^dr pbteined frefib vißor,and waßthj^a^ding/thp tofpj and his i homestead, j^ftnrs^.oqnld get home, there was^h^lt^^le bjpwjtfg, and the danger had become^o imminent that bis wife bad'r^fiiOTed' flic Inrjqfiture from thehonsdimfHllßonfidencelhatgfeen basii Would be irrpl»c&' of safety^ 3 ;it^ carried Hfeftr itf bttokets ftom a TBtteiut bio** fey to' eat « the 1 ' house, bat tbeflw WUt d<tmt on, iind citicbinK Mr, Mebhffjf'B',p*ddbok bf the flame <tfmft roibiog- alotij^ jike\^hirlwina, and^Pittsh^ ta^et^t ptnd leave bis house t<j, destruction^ the fire came to bbe^tiAb ; and then r£ (!i R bt becama necessary to save life itself." Wiiti a child on.hia back: and ,on«j n^.with b^sjwife, yrhp'/jrik lUteJauSfi^ and, (bare, ;foosed and. h,ei; previons efforts, rushed before th^. fire,. Down the East road he met Mr. Skinner.

surreyor, v*nb determibod to puih info the: t6wnshlj^ if possi|le ani brfaii i|nstflMe, fot by tipi tfapß Mr. PiM% had brothers. Tbe party jnuned around to near the Kaihouri riv&^rfd here rested. Late in the evening WK^ Skinner found tbein and brought them tea and food, and later on they were brought into the , toimgin^^aa^lilß^T'Ui iiL-tanrarftr ba brought away by thj^train, v Like niany 4 others PitW lbses -eWrything fe th»wky saved absplately nothing bat what he stands^l^ »^^^jr) Some dkysag^ittWiro^Contingiiicie*/ the Mayor .oi^ewP^mopl^oflßMd&e Chairman^ of the Btrkfiord" 9?own Boara a }fi» engine, but it wil^df^ltosdrjsjji an acknowtedß(BinentoJf J*ank>. .jWntonj^^ on Tuesday Mr. CnrtU laid v onliw ihf wiad agSn arfije* tbpre wij&; to eonnr paratitely^ll^Ja^itrf/Ire;, Jfajffyfe the wind was msd«rjMteJyj^bigb, and w» thought the firi* wotLßTnata spread all |>ver towi^hip ; bnUatiJn tht eftning tbi wind .. p WHAT THE PASSEN< EB|l BrjTJ^E ' Onkoif< thelpaßßenge^i -by the spe^al train f \Mr. M.D. King, wntes:— Thetrj^n left about half-past ten»juid sped along ' ite court e a eiaa^raU. , f^oftnajtby, waa soon wacfae^ the Jllird; jompinj? put ,ttt lee if there wer« *tty ; furoier iM^rp^oM, , Tsksnw by BUrpriMi »^ont there of jtiraping intcrtbe train-te proc^d- iq ; ibe'soene'ofdeTastortioni Soon inio4lw - solid tash, whertufirr ieign«d suprMOTii' anff the, smoke beoanie deHßei ; Eltham was reached, wher4"itetak -Leslie aria Pyemont .were on ihe'^S^oisittg/ and riiported tbrit thW4oe£lity was safe. . The jwind^ now dropped^ Along tha trailt eped; .» yer^ : hons* w* p.Med JbMWF inside proved that the ooenpants shscsM fire wai rsging^^^^jpne pfjthir.nioafr. impofing^and lurid fatfwol firsts*, Jbtbr; wi^neseja4 ; yet tt^e flight, .wi^th*, den«e umokej,- waf^cloudftdanEgSßtia^, darkiwsjsi.ofifSfef j#«m6f ?**g>ninJnkt!l!*j immense standing tress of 60 of £Q>s»e£^ With the fir«f<taibfl:gr(uwidAro)and, was, in eootrasfc' wiUj.ih«^arin»s»ioT»f^*i|a& bresaive, and whai^nwdaitmors so wasths idangei to life and. property -that- ifireat- ! *ned tbft -toiling Bneb^ttlftrt. At>STery icrdstiffg i-we eoald iset( hrirseolWn Bind! iootmen, and every' now and Iben a slow *peed Wouia help rt k>' gaihe^iUm. of gtneriil interest; Oattte'and hortes wers in great numbers along tha line, isnesa Ibelng' down, it wa.'itoo* of Jhe|»ater iplaces in their estomtioo. It was toL nntil we reached Stratford that we got really ap^palUne part£ rThetim^ tnenße clearing seemed one mass of fire, every log seemed >^to W^uMicbirtt^ina jevery standing fersri moment of liying flame. Stopping »fa 'wayside place to find out whether, the" bridge was sainrt jßoon agair^p^dv^^fte^^tbwißship; aßhes,atidPffi^ l nere'migned so* ipreme. Onr^oßtanzr6ns ! thonghts I s>nnd Borne relief when we sai^ iobhiid^, *^ke Idefiant spirits throng^ the smokei Itne^ bonses. . Tbe Town Hall, that little monutqent of the Stratford. «A^ lie' spirit, [y*f , codpigiied ■: Sand ashes. Atcand' thlsiiitidn ww (Clustered number of 'men. We noted and others, one person ensßrond*!, m,^ blanket. In the' waiting rpom i^era t^^tL j2O, women an^cbilcfretu wit^' scarcfly^ik, stitoh of clothin^on them, paving ,)|edf from tbe devouring element. Mr Bkin^r informed me that he h^.aniTe^ iffonVr jNew Plymouth by -the early train,' and* hamng Snil^adaihiil Js aifrr«j|pg borne distance timd M*HfP**>tiihft •returning. When4Peaohingtheolearinga be saw what wait iip,msaia*:on^e harried and helped; those he conld in getting to the station, and saving their goods. iFhr jlarge places were in fpminentjda»gfi^ (the town hall beinj?~in flames in JnSk 'raidst of tbemv « Meiers/ZOm^ia, Malrab, Tatty, the Btationto*4t«r, - »ncl btnwr ) yere^knoetprbetrtKf<sa^ieh «sbMStioil r and 'tbe'suffdcating effects of'ttndkoi»tt# heat, He Balr> tiien'iylng' 6n Ifoifr etomaebs wltn mouths t<s ! grotfnd^ae if~ tHey were toad dWnkY.The'wuia^^ jraginV like a' temttest; attA wbirhWfAai 1 'seemed Woe creat«'a,^tfd:sp^| l "ttf^'J selves with terrific ffirce^ #hilsf ; Im the bellowing of the cattle ana tne ■ excitement amongst the poor peopie^wEo" had escaped wi^ th'wJjftre l^yes, loajUCtheir all', was lieartrending. TOf night it was in comparison calm^n<r peaceful and ;cfear, r land* yet to ns Btrangers on the scene, it was extremely^ painful even tben,...wbat with tha smoke and fire. %t would not hftffe taken>a W'toMterm&&lm& brought floods of te^rs to every «£££, One man who had escaped, with his sbiil," and trousers tdlct me tfcat when he lefV iiis horning home, which it was itnpqa* sible to Bave, a black cow was lookingla: % back door, and wonld notjb^ m^fidttbe fowlß were perched upon the r^K with their head* hangings down., Tft^^ wfaatrl eojild. gather fi|teen homes *«f» entirelyideßtroyed* was also infor*^} hat many families ,^ad taken Jefaff^^ the beds of the creeks and nrmk'^Su? one ease thai 1 beacd'-ol the'taothiii^^: infantu had fled to th*st»tion, and :lfe^ Skinner bad toanagtd' to save tbd hoosiV The mother had left i l*d behind in tS^ hurry^^This -latf ■ sefc ■ work '$mk t[ and helped to keep^ "the flimeai^B^ bay?'- WS ofeWdmiirn^FimS^iES special to his mother, bat "no," saidraC' standing in tbe smoke -with' logs all rdund, " I'm going to keep watch att.K tma Bfome of the^ar/teaiajii^ behind to assist, otheii#th about twwS? s «hflo'reas«tWd,irkebiM S Hawera a little -afteril^in',, wbarTS' crteature ebmforts of *c rained onsr were attended/-** tittroagtf tb#^ aetbn' ? 6f img r - H&' .