STARTED FROM A POISON CART.

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

STARTED FROM A POISON CART.

DESTRUCTION OF THE MOPPITY ESTATE. Youxg (N.S.W.), January 2. Bush fires occurred at Glensloy and Elton Hills, west of Young, on Friday last. A terrific fire broke out near Mrs. Cusaek's residence, Douglas, starting from the poison cart. About 500 acres of grass and a. quantity of fencing and a few sheep, were destroyed. The fire then travelled to Mr. Powell's farm, burning all his grass, a crop of 80 acres, a stack of hay, and a quantity of fencing. "With great exertion the stallions were- saved, and taken into a dam. Mr. Brail was also a great loser, having half his property, waggons, stripper, winnower, and harness burned. The fire then travelled to Burrowa Flats. Many other losses are reported. At about eleven o'clock on Sunday morning a tire was seen to start on the eastern sido of the railway line, within the town boundary. A strong wind from the west carried it along at a furious rate, quickly reaching Mr. W. Marina's Verana property, which was swept, but the homestead was saved with great labour. The stables and outbuildings were, however, destroyed. The well-known racehorse Patch, and auothei valuable animal, were, with difficulty removed, and brought into town. The lire then crossed into Mr. Carlo Marina's wellknown Moppity Estate, only a few hundred acres of grass remaining. The homestead only was saved. What the loss in eheep may be is not yet ascertainable. i The progress of the tiro was only arrested by meeting that travelling from Burrowa. At twelve o'clock last night the scene from Young was a beautiful panorama. A great crowd of helpers went out from the town, hut with the shade temperature 114 their efforts were practically futile. Mr. Marina's son at the time of the calamity was an invalid. MITTAGONG ENCIRCLED BY FIRES. WOMEN AND MEN FIGHTING THE FLAMES. FARM DEVASTATED. Mittago.vg (N.S.W.), January 2. The whole of the country on all sides of Mittagong has been ablaze, and on Friday j the lire swept along the Mittagong Range and through the valley with great velocity, i | carrying everything before it. Hundreds ! of townspeople and visitors worked hard day | and night, in order to save property, but j I despite every precaution hundreds of acres j of grass, fencing, crops, and stabling, were ' ; destroyed. Mr. W. W. Loseby's grass padI docks were destroyed. The lire then passed ' j into Mr. S. Hordern's Retford Park Estate, ! crossed the road into Mr. J. Shiel's pro- | petty, and rushed down the mountain side I amongst the Lower Mittagong farms. Every precaution possible was taken in the way 1 of burning breaks and removing fences, but j the flames, fanned by a fierce hot wind, swept; down the mountain and .spread towards the ><epeau. Some fanners in the Lower Mittagong district lost heavily. The lire-fighters were at times prostrated. . On Saturday the fires were all round the town, the whole of the hills being ablaze, I and from all sides the town in the valley was | threatened with destruction. Every avail--1 able man was busy lighting the flames. As I fast as one portion of the town was saved I another was in danger, and until after midI night the residents were hard at work. 1 About nine p.m. the wind changed, and the smoke settled in the valley in dense i volumes. The fire reached to within a few hundred yards of the heart of the town, where the. women were compelled to assist ■ the male workers to combat the flames. To- j wards Joadja Creek a number of residents j had to llv for their lives. Mr. J. Irelade, j employed at Joadja, was burned completely out, and his wife and children compelled to j flee. Mr. Iredale was endeavouring to save the company's property, and returning to see how his family was faring, found the house in ruins, furniture, sulkies, and everything burned to cinders. The engine-sheds belonging to the Joadja Company were burned. A large number of tiucks and the engines were damaged. The famous orchards are staled to be ruined. Several premises on the hill were burned, and the residents remaining moved what they could to a safe olace and camped out. This fire threa- | tened the properties of Messrs. Cordeaux, ! Butler. Breeu, and a large number of large ; landholders. Farmers all round are not able to milk their cows owing to their udders being; scorched. Very little feed is available, and cattle are in a soitv plight. Enormous expense will be entailed in feeding for some time. One fanner here has over 300 cows, and is without grass. Others ate situated somewhat similarly; i i WHEAT COUNTRY SWEPT. FLAMES WITH AN 80-MILE FRONT. A MAN BURNED TO DEATH. Wagga, January 1. The week which closes to-night lias been acknowledged as one of the most devastating in the history of the Wagga district. The heat wave, which can be said to have properly set in on Tuesday last, was unprecedented in character, liie maximum shade temperature ranging from 110 to 119, which v.ms yesterday's record. To-day the official registration was 115, but it was almost unbearable. Great as was the suifering caused thereby, it sinks into insignificance in the face of the immense havoc occasioned by ; the bush tires which have been raging almost i without intermission since Wednesday last. I At present particulars to hand arc so inea- ! gre that it is impossible to give anything i like detailed accounts of individual 'losses, j but it is known that the destruction ot crops I has been very great, while probably not less I than thousands of square miles of grass have been completely swept bare. Unfortunately, the conflagrations were so fierce that the homes of numbers of settlers were consumed with all their contents. The losses of stock also are said to be very considerable, while miles upon miles of fencing were burned down. Up to date, only one death from actual burning has been reported, the victim being Fallon, a young agricultural labourer, who lost his life while endeavouring to save some horses at Mr. Byrnes' selection, Uranquinty. A selector, in the Sale district. Mr. Allen I Snotlgrass, died from heat apoplexy yesterday afternoon, resulting from his successful efforts to save his property on Thursday. I The smoke noticed in town did not war- ■ rant the belief that the fires raging in the I west on the previous day hud assumed any large proportion, but on Friday uncorroborated reports were current that several homesteads had been destroyed. These reports were, unhappily, confirmed yesterday. Berry Jerry station, with all the selections adjoin- j ing, and Yarragundry, were in great dan- i ger through fires. The origin of these fires I was at two distinct points. Simultaneously tires broke out on the wheat field at McDonnell's holding. Galore Park, and at the Hollies, a mile apart. One burned through the Galore Park in the direction of Arajoel Park, where an army of men were quickly on the scene. It burned to Berry Jerry and Burlenbong, through to Woodlands, Mundowey cross roads, and Yarragundry, and at an early hour on Saturday morning had extended' its destructive influence to Moorong, which is within three miles of the town, and where every effort was made to check its ravages. For a time these proved successful, there being some hundreds of men contending with the flames I in an atmosphere that was like an inferno. At one time on Saturday forenoon it was thought the fire at this point had been mastered, but, unfortunately, a strong northeaster sprang up just as' it was thought efforts might be ceased. The result was that the flames again got ahead, and burned throughout the day with increasing violence, sweeping the whole range of wheat-growing country. " ' °