THE BUSH FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12759, 9 January 1905, Page 6

THE BUSH FIRES.

— ♦ ■ FURTHER DETAILS BY MAIL. SOME HEARTRENDING STORIES. HEROIC FIRE-FIGHTERS. THE WORK OF YEARS. SWEPT AWAY IN A FEW MOMENTS. Cohowa (N.S.W.), January 5. SPKDAY last will be long remembered throughout this district as black Sunday,'' the destruction wrought by the bush fires that day being most extensive. Miles of country, fencing, and grass were destroyed, as well as homesteads, stock, and. in one instance, loss of life resulted, the victim beinL Mr. Steele, a young man, who was fighting the fire when he was overcome by it, and perished. From what can be gathered, it appears that one fire broke out early on Sunday morning on Ringwood station. A stiff breeze was blowing at the time, and carried the tiro along in a north-easterly direction with remarkable rapidity, and in a few hours the Haines had reached Brocklesby. It was stated that the conflagration covered an area 11 miles wide. It was impossible to stay the progress of the fire, and efforts were directed to saving the homes, machinery, and stock, men, women, and children standing shoulder to shoulder in their efforts. Some scenes are said to have been heartrending, the work of years being swept away in a few moments. In several instances women and children had to seek safety in dams. ONE MILE BURNED IN FIVE MINUTES. West Maitlaxd (N.S.W.), January 3. Mr. James Vile, of Kosebrook. who took refuge in a. dam on Saturday night, had to gallop to the dam, with fires on all sides. The rushes in the water at the. edge of the dam were singed. At Bellcvuo Estate the residence and stables of Mr. It. F. Graham were saved, but the grass and fencing were destroyed. > Mr. D. Ferry's Prospect Hill Estate 'and Mrs. Swan's Lemon Grove Estate were! swept clear, but the homesteads were saved with difficulty. Mr. Frank Reynolds .suffered heavily at 'focal and G'.endarra, but the-: homsteads were saved. His losses exceed j £2000. His pedigree cattle were all saved. j It is feared that large numbers of cattle I have perished between Vacy, Lamb's Val- j ley, and Hillsborough. Fourteen head of i rousted carcases were found on Sunday near ' Hillsborough. At Eelah the fire covered , one mile within live minutes. In some vineyards the crops are hopelessly lost, but others escaped unscathed. IN THE MURRAY COUNTRY. | i AWFUL SPEED OF THE FLAMES. | A MAN ROASTED TO DEATH. j At.bury (N.S.W.). January 3. : Complete reports of the fires show the disaster to be of a widespread and colossal character. Messrs. E. and R. Hires' Stony Park Estate was burnt right out, with the exception of the house, and the men and women on the place were obliged to jump into the water-tank to save themselves. In the Jindera district the approach of the fire was first noticed about midday. It was not long after the first heavy smoke was seen before clouds of live ashes were darkening the air, and very soon after this any of those near rising ground near Elm Park could trace the progress of the flames, which were seen to be travelling at a. terrific speed. Sum? of the settlers affirmed that ii was impossible for a horse galloping to keep up with its progress. R. Weeding, Allniry to Howlong mail carrier, had to race on a horse for a full mile before he got out of reach of the tiyiucr flames. From Bull Plain to Gerogery the fire covered a (lis- j tance of 60 miles, the face being from 10 to j 20 miles wide. One farmer. XV. Lidner, j who is cultivating on shares, lost 100 acres : of crop, from which he was reaping an. average of five bags to the acre. At Elm Park, the property of Mrs. Westendorf, a great amount of damage- was done, not only amongst the share farmers, through which the proprietress will lose to a considerable extent, but at the home paddock the haystacks. 15 in number, were fired by ; .sparks, though situated at least 300 yards i away from any burning material. Thirteen | out 'of 15 stacks, .which in the aggregate contained over SCO tons of hay, were burnt. SOME NARROW ESCAPES. EXCITING STORIES. A REPORTED FATALITY. Wagga, January 3. Tales of extensive losses by bush fires, both in wheat, stock, and homesteads, are still coming to hand from the huge area, over which the conflagration travelled. It was reported that a man named Bell was burned to death at Wantabadgery station. A jockey named Wickey was burnt very severely. He managed to save his life by diving into the Murrumbidgee River. Mr. G. P. Wilson, of Big Springs station, had a most unpleasant experience. lie was driving from Wagga on Saturday night, ac- i coin pan ied by a Melbourne lady visitor, and j found the country for miles around on fire. ! The buggy took fire, and before the occu- ' pants could get out the lady's dress had be- j come ignited. Prompt action by Mr. Wil- | sou extinguished the burning clothing, but j the vehicle was completely destroyed. They j experienced great hardship walking through the burning bush eight miles to the homestead. Mrs. J. Monks, a resident of the district, had a most sensational trial on Saturday night. She had driven from Wagga to within three miles of her home at sundown, when suddenly site became surrounded by the fire, which was raging with great fierceness at the time, and was unable to proceed further. Night setting in made her position all the snore dangerous. Fortunately she escaped the flames, and at daybreak on Sunday she drove home through j the burning timberI FLAMES LEAP THE MURRUM- i BID.GEE. PEOPLE TAKE REFUGE IN THE RIVER. Narraxdkra, January 2. The fire was most disastrous to the crops, fencing, and live stock. It was one of the fiercest fires experienced in the district, and most rapid, being aided by the strong northwest wind. It is said that the fire started on the river bank, and was so fierce that it leaped the river in several places. Mr. Robert Eager lost his house, 500 fowls, a haystock, 20 bags wheat, and a number of pigs. Mr. Julius Schlunke lost all his grass and 30 bags wheat; Mr. Knagge lost all his grass; Mr. Spencer's fruit orchard narrowly escaped. The flames spread to 13 ticking bong. Thousands of acres of grass, storerooms, stacks, and engines, were destroyed, and the cottage of a, tenant, Mr. Lip-combe, with six young children, was nearly burnt. It had a. marvellous escape. I Hard work saved the homestead at Bundidgerie. All the grass, woolshed, 60 sheep, and the camp of a party surveying the new irrigation works were lost. People had to take refuge in the river to save themselves. One hundred miles of fencing was destroyed. The Firs, the residence of Mr. Jenkins, was , totally destroyed.