Waiganui in Wisps.

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 924, 28 March 1918, Page 8

Waiganui in Wisps.

Dbas Chbistabsl, — THE first chapter of the bush fixe is through, and everyone is now going through his wardrobe and purse to see what can be spared for the sufferers. We here have not suffered, although many Wanganui people have sustained heavy losses, but the night of Monday-Tuesday was an awesome and fearful thing. Almost everyone was quite sure, at first, that his own house was burning. Cupboards, backyards, supposedly defective chimneys and the rest were searched over and over. The brigade was called up by almost everyone .having a telephone, but all the searching revealed nothing and people went back to bed with smarting eyes caused by the smoke, which was driving m from some unknown source. * & Hi it Morning brought the news that Mr. Moore's ±iushy Jfark Estate was burning. The plantation round the Okehu reservoir was destroyed, also the caretaker's cottage and the fences, and for a time it looked as if the whole plant would be destroyed. However, this did not nappen. '±he spreading of the hre to the up-river settlements brought things nearer home, and . it was up there that the Akerston family perished. Mr. Akerston was manager for Messrs. Scott and Connor, and with Mr. Scott had been fighting the hre. Mr. Scott, thinking it was useless to do any more, suggested going further into the bush but Mr. Akerston thought it best to remain where they were. He stayed there while Mr. Scott went on a bit, and the latter just managed to save his life by climbing the tree-tops. » «• «• * . Eleven hours elapsed before a search party was able to look for the Akerstons where they had been seen fast, and their remains—father, mother, and child —were found, ih.e mother holding the baby and the father with his arms round both. a. ■ & & & One Wanganui lady, who is holidaying at the back of beyond up the Main Trunk, wrote to her friends to say she is safe, and begged of them to send up some papers and news. The only thing she could make out from what she heard was that the fire had started at Mercer and had swept right through to W elhngton. Oh Tuesday a batch of wounded men returned to Wanganui. Many of them got oif the train at Fordeli and Aranioho, but about 2G were left to be welcomed at the town station —.Lieut. CampbeU, bergeant Crisp, .Privates O'-Drien, Katto, Cooper, Sutherland, Cumoeriand, Uiitord-Moore, Inkster, Wilson, Mutton, Ma&ie, Morgan, Smyth, Coates, Barnes, J£eviU, Woods, Moiium, Falkner, Pettis, Firmin, and Auld. A huge crowd gathered round the station and lined the streets. « « » 0 One little knot of girls who had been prevented from meeting their kinsmen at the train-side by their lack of passes were craning their necks and waiting excitedly. Suddenly one of the girls identified him, and with a "There he isl" a weary-looking boy was charged by the three girls, who gathered him into six young arms and carried him off to the car in which he was to have sitting space. S Q ■© ■ © Private O. Richardson, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Richardson, came home the next day, as he, poor boy, is a cot case. He has a very badly injured knee and is in hospital. ■a ■& a -s Lieut. A. F. Watchlin, R.N.C., and brother of Mrs. M. Hogan, has been spending.some of his sick leave in Wa-

nganui. Lieut. Watchlin has been on duty with the Fleet since the outbreak of the war. * ■» « o ■ Mr. Tustin, of the firm of Tustin and Waldegrave, Raetihi, is just now in hospital here. Mr. and Mrs. Tustin came in to Wanganui a day or two before the fire, leaving their children behind. Their house was completely destroyed. *.* * « On Friday night a number of Mr. Payne's friends foregathered to bid farewell to him and Mrs. and Miss Payne. Mr. Payne is taking over the headmastership of the Campbell-street School. Palmerston North. The Payne family will be much missed and if good wishes count for anything their days in Palmerston will surely be happy ones, crowned with the safe return from the Front of the only son. Yours sincerely, WhTBIjWIND.

held by the "Wellington Spinsters' Club at Mrs. Isaacs.' residence at Eastbourne on Saturday afternoon. A sum of over £40 was raised. —B. Wright, photo.