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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 15774, 15 March 1922, Page 6

There were an unusually large number of visitors in Blenheim for the races, and some of -them were reduced to sleeping on billiard tables and on other seemingly uncomfortable, couches rigged up in various odd corners, of the hotels. One well-known gentleman' was accommodated in the ladies' bathroom at a local hostelry, and a trustworthy-look-ing individual was able to trade on his appearance to such an extent as to be permitted to make his bed up in the bar at another house. A bush fire which occurred at Evansdale during the progress of tho Hillside Railway Workshops picnic almost caused a tragedy. About ..2.30 some misguided individual sot a match to a high mierocarpn, gorse, and broom, and, fanned by a strong gale, the hedge was soon a raging furnace, the flames rising to a height of fully 30ft. The holiday-makers were engaged in watching tho foot races at the other side gf tho paddock at tho time, and tho alarm brought between fifty and sixty Hillside employees on the scene. Tkoy quickly armed themselves with green, boughs of' trees, and managed to boat the fire out after" a strenuous fight, While the fire-beaters were busy at work, Mr. W. Johnson, employed as a painter at Hillsido Workshops, and who is a returned soldier holding a war decoration, secured an axe, and began to carve a gap in the hodge, so as to make a firebreak. Ho was" plying tho axe, when he came across a rug lying under tho hedgo and right in the pathway of tho flames. He dragged tho rug towards him, and great was his surprise on picking it up to. find a baby about twelve months old wrapped in it. Ho quickly carried tho infant to'a place of safety. Tho fire at that time was within 2ft. of the sleeping child. Mr. Johnson had his clothes badly burned while engaged cutting tho hedge, as the firo was very fierce in that particular quarter. The infant had boon placed under the hedge out of tho wind by its mother.