SERIOUS BUSH FIRES,

Otago Witness, Issue 2293, 10 February 1898, Page 20

SERIOUS BUSH FIRES,

HEROIC DEEDS.

Melbourne, February 2.

The settlers are having a terrible time with the bash firss in Gippsland. The towns of Warrigal, Taralgon, arid Jumbuna are threatened with extinction. A number of houses have already been burned. The bush fires are spreading in all directions. Many selectors have been burned oafc and are homeless. The losses of property, stock, and crops are enormous. Fifty thousand acres in the Gampsrdowa district alone were swept at Droraana, 1000 shaep and 23 bullocks were roasted, and at Terang 500 sheep. At North Devon the house of a selector named Harrison caught fire. The wife waa on a sick bed. The husband made his way through* tha flames with much difficulty and reacaed his wife and family. Harrison lost everything. Afc Leorgatha a house containing a woman and five little children was completely surrounded by fire. Constable Gorman rods through the flames and brought euS the lamates one by one. On the last trip he fall forward on his horsa's neck exhausted, A burning tree fell and snapped the bridle reia. The horse, stimulated by f eight, earned its fainting rider to safety. February 3. Twenty-five settlers have been burned out by the bush fires as. Mirboo North, a&d maoy others afc L^ch, Calljnee, Nerrim, aad Waxidgal. Numbers were badly burned fighting the fkmes. j The fcowaahip of Poowotsg in the north has b&ea svrept away. Residents toak refegs ia creeks asd wells, and covered tbamselv.^ with wafe sack*. Walhalla is completely surrounded. It is faared the township will be totally destroyad. Tue heat and bush fires ahow no signs of abatifig. BsrrowiEg reports of tha losses and swfferißga of settlers ara oomiag to haad. A school in Gippalsnd was suddenly beainied in by fir®. The cteil4r#a got onb | wish difficaUy. A h*tel sear Moe caught fire, and as tb© vra'ec was exhausted beer was ussd to sxfcinguish the flames. ; The L&o»g*tba Labour Ooloay has beea ! destroyed. Hundreds of psga have been ro&sfced. Churchss, public baildiags, and ! miles of feEcing have been destroyed in ' sotns districts. j Februar? 4. I The fires in Gippeland are swsepisg all ; before them, and hundreds of rained sefcfciers ■ are m&king ifaeir way to the townships, many of them blinded with siaoko aiid badly scorched. Numbers barely escaped with : their lives. The ooaatoryls a blackeaed stretch ef devastation, dotted with rained how4^««tds and the c»tca«4s of rwvated «*&ok, and «veslre»g with a desge cwsopy of ssaeke, hidiag the ana, and readdring the day eewi-dfttk. The coaofc batweea Oape Otway aod Wilson's Promo&fcory is cons^lfttaly obicar«d, aad the shipping ia almost paralysed. The Jambanaa and S«uth Warragal frettlemsfita have been wiped o&l. At W»rrar gnl a family suce»*#ively gava rftfug* to fcbree naighboura who«« homes la&d b««a desiroy^d, and the combined families, inelndiag; 2i children, had a terrible battle through the burning forest to Mach a place ef &&f*ty. The women doffed tkair tkirts and fovgbt tha flameg. A man named Ooofr, while driviog a bullock dray, was evsreeme wifch the smoke aad fell H&dei* the whe«is »ad w«3 killed. Extefieivtt fires bare oocarred in Ibt weetsrn districts. Afc HawkesdaU 2000 sh»«p w«re roasted. February 5. There are indications that tie Gij?p#laad fires are bwroiag tfa®ma«lTeg cut. Tb.B GippslßQd Area destr-oyed 50 homesfceada ia fth* Siroalecki Ranges, 25 a* Miw>o Norisb, and 20 jU T«r»ag. Mr Adkias, a w«ll-known stockbreeder, loit 1600 ahesp, 150 cattl«, inoludiag many ■ valuable priaa awrasie, feud a nuoihtr of pxiz« pjgs. February 7. | The loag apall ef lotaase beat has a* laa* broken. 000 l soatberly weal^ter S6» ia yesterday, which will bara tha effect oi farther chocking tha buth firss. Pitiable sioriss ef disfcrsw and Ettff<*ei»g are brighter ad by ca*cy d««4s *t h*r»»ca. Twoaiy-four femili^a w«re bur*#d oat in the Aliaait«a district. A roaamfcftble tighb was tha lajge nuiabar of a&iawfti &»d birds driven for refuge into fell* to*»»*kip. Adblaidb, F«3»ruary 4. The bsoh firca are »pre«dieg, and ra«ny parts of ths country ari> much dasaagsd. Aucklawb, February 4. Bx^easira bv»h and owaissp icea are now raging in varkina psrfas of tfec W«ik»t», and serious d&maga a*d k»e will yr»b.*!»ly «a«ue if rain does not fall »«on. Walter's l»k* proyorty waa i» danger y«st-erday. TBe wo^lakei w»8 destroyed, aud ifc w*s with difficsliy thsst {'utt&er loss irai averted. At H*miiteu Ws»t Sfeatloa » sma-11 plaa<i»tioß was oomplstely deskoyed. The Piako Swamp is ou fke in a dazan gk.ee s. Nblson, February 4-. A telegram from Mofcocka fc«-i»i jtefc ttet*s «hat bush firsa are raging seriously in the out sistrktii. At Neudorf a bop kiln and cornBbaeka wore burned, and at Graiiiwa the »ufcb«il(3ing3 of Mv William Hodgoa were bam«d. It is also ramottred the residsoce of Mm Sixta*, P^Jssroro, wfs dasbroyed. The fire rpreail from Stanleybrook fo Ocnttal Moufcete, and settlers from Lower M*utere hava gone to assist The Central Moutere 6<.'^!>ol was closed all day. Cattle have baen j burned so seriously that they had to be shofc. | Motueka has-been onvelopsd by deusa emoke for the past two- days. A strong southerly wind bas been ragiag gince Monday morning sight and day, To-uiakfc % fire was seen from

Nelson across the bay in the Riwaka direction, and is most likely on tbe Riwaka-Takaka road, where damage was done recently, including los 3 of stock and pasture.

February 7.

The long-continued drought broke up lasb night, when the first heavy ruin for about three months past Bet in. Rain is still falling. Tha record for the past 24- feours was lfin. Slighfr fear of serious shortage to the city water supply is thu6 removed. The rain will do an immense amount of good, as the country has be«n suffering severely from the effects of long-continuecl drought. The downpour also completely extinguished the bush fires in various jearta o£ the district, which gave evidence of renewed vigour the last few days under the influence e£ strong winds. A bash fire, at Anis&ad, supposed to feave been lighted by boys on Saturday, spree d to the machinery shed at the Champion Copper Mining Company's property, and destroyed the costly plant. The house, which was in danger, waa saved. The machinery was insured for £240 in the South BriWsh office.

News from country districts shows that much damage was done laafc week by bush fires. At Takaka several houses were saved only by great exertions. At; Mofcnpipi John Moulder's barn and outbuildings, with nine pigp, were destroyed. 00. Saturday, at Upper Meutere, Cbricbian Eose had all bis stacks and outbuildings, including hia hop kiln, barn, and pig etyes, consumed by fir©, and Sbildanor, o£ the sasae place, had his barn full of provsader destroyed. Tho rain has extinguished the fires, and it is estimated will improve the hop crop to the extent of 300 bales.

FfitLDiNO, Febrwtry 2.

The heavy gale of wind yesterday started tha log fires again. Seven buildings wero burned at Waikma, two at Ch&ltenh&oi, and one a 6 Apifci. A wholo lot; of tftlaable grass country waa swept by tha flvmes. Most of tho buildings were insured, bub details are not available.