FURTHER DETAILS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9924, 20 March 1918, Page 6

FURTHER DETAILS

TERRIBLE STORY OF SUFFERING FIRE SWOOPED DOWN WITH TERRIFIC SUDDENNESS. PEOPLE TERROR-STRICKEN. Preen Association. PAIJMERSTON NORTH, March 19A Manawatu "Daily Times" reporter who- motored from Palmerston to Taihap reports that the country between -Mangaweka and Taihape wa 3 a mass of flames over thouands of acres, hut the settlors gathered in most of the stock, and the damage is not likely to bo great. Indeed the country benefited to a large extent. Ho was present when the refugees from Kaotihi arrived at Taihape. Most of them were suffering severely from injury to the eyes. Many were quite blind. They tell a moving story of their experiences. The fire swooped <l° w n on the town with extraordinary suddenness, propelled by a gale so fierce so fierco that motor cars were blown ott the road and burning branches of trees were flung in all directions for unbelievable distances, spreading conflagration. The people were terrorstricken. They put up a good fight, but house after house was destroyed, including the Catholic and English churches and lesidences. The police station and some ten isolated houses only were left standing, and are still in danger. Many women, hid their childron in culverts. Some lay in the ground for hours in blankets breathing through wet handkerchiefs, and several stood knee-deep in creeks to escape the flames. Several were badly scorched, and the majority have lost their ail and are in a pitiable condition, and urgently need relief . The Auckland express had a narrow escape. A goods train which passed over the culvert going north just before the express was due suddenly discoverd the woodwork of the superstructure was aflame. One of the trucks took fire. Before the train was placed out of danger zone the express was stopped and kept at Horopito flag station all night. The passengers, including Sir James Allen, and many prominent military men, made themselves as comfortable as possile though greatly incommoded by the heat.

The news regarding Ohakune is inconclusive. Powell's Process : "Works and Collery and Son's mills were destroyed, and at least eighteen houses. Others are in jeopardy. An enormous conflagration raged at Rangitaua. Many small settlers lost their all. Over the whole area much stock was destroyed. , At Karioi the settlement was wiped out. The telegraph and telephone communication was cut off, precluding further details. Heavy rain foil at Taihape tonight and indications of relief are satisfactory.

IN THE HUTT VALLEY A GtREEN ATMOSPHERE. The residents of the Hutt • Valley who were early astir yesterday morning were under the impression that theii timepieces had gone wrong. The morn, ing was exceptionally dark, but upon going into the open air the cause oi the darkness was apparent. A sur. vey of the surroundings disclosed that something of a phenomenal nature was in progress. To the west and north the atmosphere was dense and.distinctly green in hue, while to the east thero was a blackness that could almost be felt. To the south there was a. thick haze, the colour varying from purple to orange. Between 5 and 6" o'clock in tho morning it is usual to see birds flying about in search of food. There had been rain during tho night, but the gardens had. not their accustomed visi-tors—-thrushes and blaokbirds—in quest of the succulent worm. The high wind was the only active agency abroad. Residents wer«> filled with an uncanny feeling, the air.was oppressively warm, and one's throat experienced a burning sensation as the breath was inhaled. Along the road two milk-carts were outTTned in the haze. They looked more like immense vans than small milk-floats, in the heavy atmosphere. ■ The men in charge were in conversation, and one was heard to say, "It's no use going on. Bill, this is the end of everything, all the burning mountains have broken out."

By 9 o'clock the. green atmosphere had changed to a dirty yellow, and at intervals the sun could bo discerned. It was a deep red, and looked awesome and weird. - "UNFOUNDED RUMOURS.

Tho wind was blowing a gale from the north-west, and there was no indications as to the direction from which the smoke was coming, but by this time it was abundantly evident that large busn fires were in progress. The snioko could bo smelt, and as one walked through' Lower Hutt fine ashes found their way under the eyelids, paining tho eyes, and making them tim and xvater. Inquiries elicited a story that a Bush fire was raging at the back of Korokoro, and that a farmer had been compelled to remove his family and belongings to Petono, as his house was in danger. The story was not substantiated, and a resident who camo from higher up tho valley informed a "Times" reporter that large bush fires wero in progress at Akatarawa and on tho slopes of the Rimutaka ranges. A visit to Upper Hutt and Lower Akatarawa was made, and it was found that the remaining bush in tho district —it is nearly all down—was not on firo, and tho only unpleasantness on the Rimutakas was a heavy gale, accompanied by rain. MAYMORN ESTATE ON FIRE.

A farmer who lives well back in tho Akatarawa Valley camo to Upper Hutt, and stated that there was a large bush fire on tho Otaki side of tho range on the Maymorn estate. Ho said he had seen tho fire from a hilltop, and that it was raging fiercely. • Tho Maymorn estate extends practically from Maungaroa, through Akatarawa, and across tho ranges to Otaki. IF was tho intention of the company to mill tho timber on tho estato, and a commencement was made, but afterwards the project was abandoned. It" was then decided to fell the tiinbor, with the object of utilising tho land for grazing purposes. Last winJ t6i ,j sonj« HundtedS'^acres^woTo^feieci?

and a favourable opportunity has been awaited in order to "burn." Mr A. Seed, general manager for the May Morn Estates, Ltd., was at Otaki yesterday, and. upon inquiry at the company's office the clerk in charge stated that the felled bush on the estate wan being burnt, which no doubt accounted for the smoke that darkened "Welling. ton yesterday morning. SHIPPING AFFECTED SMOKE, CLOUDS AND GALE. Gap-tain W. Cameron, master of the "ferry" 6 t<?amor Mararoa, informed a "N.'Z. Times", representative that the late arrival of that vessel at Wellington yesterday morning was due to the dense smoke •bank that was encountered in Cook Strait. The Mararoa cleared Lyttelton at 6:50 p.m on Monday, and 'experienced a, nasty cholipy head sea, with very little wind throughout the night The smoke was first', met a,t 4 am.; and an- hour later it was as thick as the proverbial (hedge.' A strong head wind sprung tip at 6 a.m., and brought along a wall of smoke that turned daylight into twilight. Tile sounding load was plied, and the vessel proceeded cautiously until the rocks of Baring Head (south of Pencarrow Head) ■ loomed up menacingly ahead. Tho engines wore stopped and the vessel's head put hard over the fierceness of tho wind turning the ship smartly around. It was nearly 11 o'clock in the morning ■:• before Captain Cameron, alter feeling his way cautiously along, was able to discern Pencarrow Head. Now able to set bis course, he brought the Mararoa" up to town through tho smoke, which was still denso, and berthed his boat shortly before noon, about five hours late. The steamer Nikau, from Nelson,' and tho Tahnii, from AVanganui, which arrived at "Wellington early yesterday morning, did not meet the northerly gale until nearing the Wellington 'Heads. They managed *o get

■ "• - • , .. i i into port through th© smoke witfa a minimum of 'delay. The Union " Co.'s cargo steamer Corinna. which left' New Plymouth at 8.20 o'clock on Monday night for Wellington, should have mado port about 'noon yesterday, but owing to the dense batiks did not arrive until 8.30 ofclock last night. Capiain Elders reported thafafter tho vessel rounded Capo Egmont the whole countryside seemed to be ablaze, the lino being on© -mass of fir©. Tho smoke soon enshrouded the vessel 60 that the engines had -io be eased down several times. . The ' Union Co.'s cargo steamer Karamii that left Bluff at 5.30 a.m o n Saturday direct for Wellington should have arrived hero yesterday afternoon, but up till an early hour this morning there..were no signs.of her. Tho wind churned the i&rbour up throughout » the day iimil- th© waves were feather white. The cable-repair -, steamer , Tutanekai, at prsenb laid-up, .which was moorod to' her buoy in the stream, ran up nag signals shortly after 4 p.m. indicating that she was' drifting. Tho Post and - Telegraph Department was communicated with, and some of the officers went out in. a launch and found that the vessel's moorings "«'ero dragging. They thoi* shackled tho Tutanekai s. lino on to the Amokura's buoy, and this proved «ffeobive.„ Mr E. G. 1« • Zohrab's tug Karaka also trent out but found that her services wero not afternoon, although the northerly gale raged unabated, the smoke had completely . disappeareji from around Wellington and Coon Strait. Owing to the seventy of tho weather tho departure of a number of vessels was postponed itlH to-day. Scarcity of waterside labour, however,'was also responsible for the delay 'of some of the boats. The Eastbourne Borough Council's Day's Bay and Rona Bay ferry service >»-as curtailed, and some -of the trips abandoned owing to tho unfavourable conditions. ■ After nightfall the wind began to decrease, and all cloudiness i-ad cleared. ' , , i -_ , As the Pateena was delayed -;»t > Olson 'bv \ the bad weather until 10 o'clock last night, she -will not reach Wellington until 9 or 10 o'clock thai morning; -