"NEVER BE EFFACED."

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 3106, 27 December 1921, Page 7

"NEVER BE EFFACED."

RAGING LLAMLS IN THE WKST. NARROWMINK'S KSCAI'K. DUBRO. Dec. 8. Mr J. Dempster, of Craigie Lea, aboiil live miles From Narrowmine, tpc.ukmg in Dubbo ol last Friday night's bush liivs i:i ilie Narrowiniue and '! rangie iJislcicls, said lhe\ made up a tragedy llial will nevei' Lie effaced From the n ry of anyone who lives in the districts, lie slates thai al limes ihe (lames were advancing and spreading al llie rate ol 20 miles an hour. I' was only (he Bogan road thai saved the town of Narrowmine from dcitrudion, and prevented I lie Haines from spreading al a terrific pace into (lie Dubbo district. CROP LOSSES. Mr Dempster says thai when the fires '.vere stopped in hold of his place he was shipping Ins crop, which was yielding eight bags in ihe acre, ll was pinfid, lie said. in see crops that were capable of giving from 1!) to i-1 bags lo Ihe acre going up m smoke while hundreds ol men iricd in vain iii save them. 'I he efforts of the large army of willing workers, almost every man and youth a volunteer, were as helpless as if ihe lighters were infant.?. Messrs I."raw-ford Jims., ol Quandong. were perhaps llie heavies; losers. They are excellent fanners, men who tallow atsi every acre that they sow from year lo year. They bad a 10l of their crop .stripped, and thai portion of it averaged iibout 12 bags to ihe acre. A great light was put up by a large body of men in an endeavour to save about 300 acres on th.s estate, on which one of llie best crops ever

ifi-own in ilie West was jusi then lit for | the harvesters. Indeed, ii bad been the intention of Crawford Bros, to start stripping litis large held. A modes! estimate ol Ihe yield of this Held, said Mr Dempster. would be ab.iui 15 bags to the acre, and there was nol a blade of oats in the whole uf ii. '1 lie appearance of litis magnificent crop- ii could bo seen by the illuminations us if it were broad daylight—appealed io all in thai sector of the liouble, and they all resolved lo save il if il "ere within human power against such odd-. APPALLING SIGHT. The right was niaiuiained lor over an hum-, and just when success appeared lo ne assured an outbreak was noticed i ■orner, am! in n lew minutes ihe whole paddock was reduced to cinders. The loss if Crawford Bros, and Mr I'.. Crawford, ii.e ol i iir-ui who has a place ol his own, ,vill aniiiunl to over £IO,OOO. The insur !i>ie will ln> but a moiety ol that .-urn. The nexl hcavio.-l loser was "llie Grand lid Man ol Xairowmiiie." Mr frank vlack, the pioneet wheal grower of llie lisirici. Miles ol his Fencing was destroyed, md Mr Dempster says ii will lake Mr vlack years to complete the work of re•onslrticlioll. A considerable area ol his ine wheal crop was also destroyed, and ii i'asi did Ihe flames envelop pan of the station llial several ol his line stud sheep ere roas.ed alive and cat lie were badly singed before they could ceiipo. Mr Marl: ~ (!:.> can be counted in thousands ol pound'. A great battle was made by a si rem.; leiacliiuenl of men lo sive ihe home ol Mr .). Maynard, of Willobah. The lirelighters succeeded in saving llie home, bill ~|| the crops ol this farmer, all his grass, ,11 his Fencing were reduced to ashes, as well as all :lie sheds and luadiinery al l!u< place. Ii is a crushing blow lo Mr Mavnard. \'l,. [I. Ki!b v losl several hundreds or ~„,, „f li; lv and about 2000 bags of wheal. Mr !•;. (''inwlTrd and Mr T. romlins could do nothing bill watch hundreds ol bags ol wheal burn In ashes after ihe lires had ■\'.-i«lii on from llieir places. Mr S. Barling was also a heavy loser ~i c-rops and pastures and fencing, and his home was saved only after a Homeric struggle. The losses will make a staggering stun. Mr Dempster savs the wind was so strong II,;,! ,]„. fiames 'leapt across roads 40yds wide, and in some cases it was noticed ih :i i lire.- would start 100yds in Front ol tint main line of llie advancing llame.