GRASS AND CROPS BURNED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13812, 28 January 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)

GRASS AND CROPS BURNED.

PERILOUS EXPERIENCES OF TWO FAMILIES. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

TIMAIVU, January 23. Following on the small fires at Winchester, and in the neighbourhood of Timaru, by which, fortunately, only a fow fences and a few loads of flax were destroyed, news reached town early this evening of an extensive and serious fire in tho Orari and Belficld districts. To add to the groat tuuietj felt hen- comes the further news about 7 p.m. thai the lior'-west, galo had blown down ae-vnval of tho telegraph poles between Tomukn and Winchester. This, of course, cut on" all communication by felegrniih or telephone with tho firo area, and as the wires wove not expected lo he restored till a. lato hour, the nows to hand so far is very moagre, and tho statements differ very much. Passengers by the evening (rains "from the north state thnt Iho fire is fully a mile long, and that a lot of fences, grass crops, and some stock have been destroyed: also that two farm houses near Orari havo b°mi severely damaged. One, it. is said, is com■plololy burnt, mid a family of 12 rendered homeless. A wry largo force of settlers and men from ilm townships in tho neighbourhood aro fighting the flames. 11. is enid that, the firo was first noticed after (ho. passing of tho afternoon express, and wiis still raging fiercely as tho evening train came along.

.Tanunrv 24. Following two days of hot mir'-wosfc weather there have lieen numerous grass fires, and several patches of .crop have been burned. In one case a Waitohi farmer mimed Williams lost 50 acres of oats and some wheat. The most serious liro of tho kind occurred north of Orari yesterday afternoon. A lurae area of tussock and grass laud was burned, and a house occupied by two settlers named Washington was destroyed. The men were away from home, ami the two wivoe, with eight small children, were vwcued with difficulty. Tho trains are responsible for starting sonic of the fires. Half the park at Orari was burned to-day, and another fire started a mile further north—both by the express.

erected. This firm's loss at the.Tisburj mill ia estimated at about £1000.

Messrs Timpany Bros , , sawmill; which was destroyed, was insured (or £800, but the firm will ioso heavily, as a great deal of their tramway and their bridges have been burned.

M'Cnllum'e mill, a, little way back from tho hush siding, wne saved, but Ilio old mill building and the outbuildings on (lie railway line were destroyed, ami the timber yard was only .wed by the slaff working all ni"lit.

Tho fire at Mabel Bush destroyed about half a mile of the New Zealand Pino''Company's tramway, but (ho mill escaped. A good Oral of tramway linn belonging to the New Zealand Tine Company's Woodend mill ha? been destroyed, but the mill iteeif lms survived.

Mr A. R. Wnllis's mill i\t Hcdgehopc. which was destroyed, was not insured, and ■Mr Wallis will be a heavy laser. Thn Southland Sawmill Company's Kapuka mill was reached by ths flames "at about. 11 o'clock last, night, and although tho whole staff worked desperately to save it, it was destroyed, with a considerable amount of tramway ami the men's huts. This mill was only rc-eveded in February last, .having a liltlo liino before been burnt down.

rlii? rails on (lie Seaward Bush line have buckled somewhat through tho heat, but a gang of nieji was at. work nil night effecting repairs, and the train was able (o get (liroiigh this morning. This ie the worst disaster from bush fires that hae yet overtaken Southland. It will throw at Jeast 100 men out of work for sonic time, and as under (he altered circumstances it will not be worth wiiilo to robuild tho mills, many of the men will have to seek employment elsewhere. The loss in mill buildings and plants, stocks of timber, tramways, und standing lumber, rune into inaiiy thousands of pounds. Many settlers' houses have also been destroyed, but it is impossible at this time to givn. definite information alwut them, or to make, any estimate of the aggregate loss. INVEIICARC4IM,, January 25. Tho bush tires won* quiescent to-diiy, but the rifling wind .restarted them to-night in two distinct places—one. in (ho direction of Motu Riinu, and the other towards Waimalua. No details are available. Heavy rain at Oropuki last night quenched the tires there.

January 24. Tho bush fires are now under control, heavy rain having slaved their progress, but, owing to tho dry, peaty nature of the soil, a week's downpour*will be required to extinguish them. The Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr Hay), tho road engineer (Mr Treseder), and Mr Hanan. M.11.H.. are now on a visit of inspcct|oii. Many of the sufferers are struggling settlers, who probably require Government assistance in the way of grass seed, etc. Tho bulk oJ the bush' destroyed is practically worked out. The damage to the sawmills amounts to £4000, and about tho same amount of destruction has been done to the bush. In all, 44,000 acres are affected.

January 25, The scene of the bush fires was inspected today by Mr Hanan, M.H.R., Mr Hay (Commissioner nt Orown Lands), and Mr Kinross (a, member of the Southland Land Board) with a view of ascertaining what could bo done in tho way of sowing down the burnt areas in grass. A report will bo sent to the Government. A considerable amount of the affected area is freehold land,- and the settlers are already preparing to sow. A number of tho Government settlers, having earned their living by working at tho sawmills, will probably be obliged to surrender their holdings unless tho mills resume working, which is problematical at present. Somo holdings are by tho fires, as clearing has been done which would have takeii months of labour. IN THE 'NORTH ISLAND. PAHIATUA, January 24. Extensive bush fires are raging in the Pakehinau district, Messrs Gardner and Yeoman's sawmill was only saved by great efforts on the part of the mill hands. A settler named Parker, who was assisting to save tho mill, had his house burned, and will bo a heavy loser, being uninsured. Hiin stepped tho spread of the Ere.