DESTRUCTIVE BUSH FIRES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2758, 23 January 1907, Page 53

DESTRUCTIVE BUSH FIRES.

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AT SEAWARD

BUSH.

A REIGN OF TERROR. (Feom Our Own Correspondent.)

TNVERCARGILL. January 21. Bush fiie» continue to rage at Seaward Bush. A heavy mass of smoke drifts continually across the sky. At Otatara the settiers have been fire fighting for days, and work has c\.lmo=t been suspended. Rol>ero Martin, who recently took up a Government section at Maplo Grove, was burnod out yest-^.-da-y afternoon, his fourroomed hou-o being almost completely destroyed. It was not insured.

It is said that the settlers in this locality are passing through a reign of terror. The women join ill© men in tlio effort to sava their homos.

Wallace's mill, at Hedgehope, has been completely destroyed. It is believed <o be insured, but particulars are not available.

Practically the wholo of Seaward Buth. from Georgetown to the Gorge road, a distance of 16 miles, is on fire. The Tisbury -SawmiH, owned by Mr Fairweather, was demolished, along with four houses in the vicinity.

The railway station at Tisbnry has been destroyed.

A bacon factory built of brick was threatened, the skylight igniting several times.

Miles of fencing have been burned.

Messrs Broad and Small's sawmill, between Tisbury and Waimatua, and Messrs Timpany Bros', sawmill, at Waimatua, have been completely destroyed, together with, chains of tr.unway. *

Messrs John Timpany and Richard Lloyd, who were protecting a bridge, had a narrotf escape. The fire surrounded them. They mad 3 a dash through the- bush, finally taking refuge in a waterhole, where they kept the flames off by throwing water on the ■surrounding bushes. After remaining three hour s*,5 *, they found their way to the Woodlands tramline, where they were picked up exhausted by a party with a trolley. At Tisbury two other men, while trying to save a quantity of oats and chaff, wero in grave danger, and had to fly for their lives.

A lad, driving a dray through tihe bush, had to remove the horse and abandon the vehicle, which was burnt on the i-oad. The evening train from Invercaiffiil wa£ unable to get past. , The Tisbury Sawmills are insured, ayA the amount is not yet definitely ascertainable. Mr Timpany has an insurance, of £500 in the Commercial Union. He estimates his loss at £15C0. . .

It is reported that two men are mining, but the report is not confirmed.