BUSH FIRES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 3331, 13 January 1898, Page 2

BUSH FIRES.

KHANDALLAH IN JEOPARDY. For some days fires hare been burning i the hills behind Khandallah, lighted by o one knows who, but fostered in the dry imbs and undergrowth of the bush lands nd clearings and fanned into life and ctivity by a succession of winds, until esterday they made their appearance on he brow of the ridge overlooking the ownship, accompanied with a smoke which Limmed the perspective and nearly blinded hose whom business or curiosity forced or mticed out into the open. It was reported n the city yesterday afternoon that nany houses in Kbaudallah in langer, “and that a squad of thirty if the "Permanent Artillery had been sent out by special train to help to fight the flames, A repieseutative of The Times decided to walk out to the scene of operations. A high and gusty wind was blowing, so much so that on portions of the line in tho vicinity of Crofton the pedestrian was obliged to dropdown on his knees andolio'’- to the rails to prevent his being blown over the embankment, and clouds of blindm* s’uoke were encountered, accompanied °lv showers of ashes, particles of which entered tho eyes of the wayfarer, rendering ids journey a most uncomfortable one. Between Crofton and Khandallah the smoke was so thick as to be intensely oppressive. The latter place is about five and a halt miles from Wellington, on the Manawatu Railway Company’s line. Hero many city men have made their residences, and their houses, peepin» out from arboreal surroundings of a peculiarly picturesque character, appear tu the visitor to encroach on ideality. These surroundings of shrub, and fern, and monster forest trees constitute a positive danger in seasons of the year such as the present, when everything is dry and combustible. So it was that yesterday morning those living at Khandallah were alarmed to see that the tiros had gained the ridge, and that the flying sparks ware igniting the dry trees in the sections abutting their homesteads. The fire, fanned by the almost hurricane gale, and fed with the largo amount of dry material in tho vicinity, did actually threaten the residences of Messrs Corkhill and Robinson (owned by Mr R Hannah) early m the day, and it was only by the most strenuous and sustained exertions that the neighbours, assembling in numbers, were able to prevent the houses from being burned to the ground. As it was, it was thought advisable to remove the furniture. Luckily, those assembled were able to cope with the flames, and only a small shed was destroyed. Then the wind changed somewhat, and by the rapidity with which the lire spread from tree to tree along the hilhida it seemed as if nothing could save the beautiful houses of Messrs James (Government librarian) and Bibles from destruction. It was at this stage that, in response to a telephone message, it was decided to send a detachment of Permanent Artillerymen out to Khandallah. Ihe Wellington-Manawatu Company put on a special train for the purpose, and the men, under Sergeant Heath, arrived on the scene about 3 o’clock. They at once sot to to cut down all tho dry timber in the vicinity of the houses, and to lay in a stock of water in buckets in case of emergency. The furniture of Messrs Stone and Bibles was removed for safety into the church at the bottom of the hill. About 6 o’clock the wind, which had been blowing from the northward, shifted round a few points to the west, and all immediate danger was thereby abated. The flro meantime spread with rapidity amongst the stumps and logs in the open lands between Crofton and Khandallah, and when nigflfc fell acres upon acres were covered with flames, which ate up everything as they went, and provided a brilliant spectacle for the onlookers. In the darkness the extent of the conflagration in the forest lands could also he seen. Over many acres tho branches of gaunt ratas and pines were lit up, and flashed brilliant signals of distress through the darkness, whilst eyes of flame glared from out the dark green foliage in all directions, betokening the immolation of fallen giants which was going on beneath. Every now and again a sudden gust of wind would shatter the limb of some leviathan of the forest and scatter far and wide a shower of sparks, some of which flew in company for hundreds of yards before settling unextinguished to initiate in another place a devastating fire. The beautiful bush reserves of Messrs James, Bibles and Stone are all alight. The reserve set apart by the people of Khandallah as a public park, and subsidised by Parliament during the last session, has, however, so far escaped, but just before -the departure of the train it was seen that the fire had gained the ridges just above it, and that it was in imminent danger of a disastrous visitation. When our representative left the spot at 9.30 p.m. a gala of wind was blow, ing, the surface of the country for miles was irradiated with fire and preparations were being made by tho anxious settlers for a series of nightwatches, and the fear was expressed that several homesteads would not survive the dawn. Ibe Permanent Artillerymen were withdrawn and returned to barracks by the last train, it being, felt that they had done all that lay in their power, and that it would be useless to keep them at Khandallah in discomfort for the night. They may, however, be obliged to return to tho scene again early to-day. There were large bush and scrub fires raging around Terawhiti and Penoarrow last night, causing a bright glow cn the horizon, and shipmasters who ventured in .report that they had great difficulty in making the Heads owing to the dense volumes of smoke.