HAVOC IN TARANAKI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13673, 14 February 1908, Page 5

HAVOC IN TARANAKI.

!;':; v A GLOOMY OUTLOOK. V ; [fit TOLEGBAI'H.—*I'»KSS ASSOCIATION.] '■ Xiiw Plymouth, Thursday. During the past three days the whole of I Taranaki has been cnvlopect in , a thick i haze of smoke; from the bush fires around j the base of Mount Egmont and from the | back country inland. ■■<, Yesterday, fanned i by high winds, grass fires sprang up in all directions, a few being within'striking disI tance of _ the town. ■" These burned themselves out when the ! wind dropped. Fur- ■ ther:.baek;; towards ■ the : mountain : . slopes few? have escaped the anxieties' attendant on tie- [ fending their homes from devastation^

So far no sawmiiJs have been reported lost, i: although ;'aferiy hud the narrowest-oi 'escapes. •' Bush - tramiinee have been '-" : stroyed in many places*, and it is a iw» feared that numbers of sheep Have perished. • Several schools narrowly escaped the ilaincs, ana have been closed on account of the attendant dangers. In addition to the houses already destroyed in the Baholu district, news was received to-night -if further losses* and sholidd the wind rise the flames;, : which are how spread intermittently over many .Bint*, arc .likely to cause widespread havoc. Ue> lief parlies are stationed on many of the 'roads.. _; ■ -..:.•' The news from Okau and Tongaporutu districts, out back, is vary gloomy. Everyiters the (settlers ..are- on the-, qui vive... Only one shower has fallen this year,' and unless the drought shortly breaks the equanimity with which the farmers -•-''-- up to now viewed the unusual spell of dry Weather must give place to great apprehension, in view of the fires and the pros- ■ pective shortage of winter feed. In Cape Egmont district considerable destniction has-:, wrought :; by bush fires. Tho homesteads of Messrs. Morrow and Clarke, Kahui Road, have been destroyed. ■Rothery's sawmill has been on fire, but has been saved from destruction up. to the present. The Opiipake Company's- sawmill is '■ in danger. The fires are raging practically over the whole district to the north and West of Mount Egmonfc.

DAMAGE NEAR EKETAHUNA. I CEMETERY SWEPT BY FLAMES. ' [BT TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] .: J • - Eketahtjna. Thursday. !' Fires have freshened in the .•■Hukanui' dis- ; . trict. Mr. Udy's sawmill has been burned down, with; four cottages adjoining. 'A /house occupied by Mr. Mitchell-was also; destroyed. Thirty men arc out of work, and the loss on the mill is estimated at £2000. The Eketahuna cemetery has been swept bv fire. The fences and'some of the headatones have : been destroyed and others are much damaged. /■:/ :■ ' ; Large areas of grass have been burnt at Waiwaka and Newman. ,