BUSH FIRES IN THE GISBORNE DISTRICT.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13653, 19 February 1913, Page 2

BUSH FIRES IN THE GISBORNE DISTRICT.

•-■■:: ; ■> ■■— : <•" : —: — :'.'■•' '■..'; . ; ; ■■:.'•'A':.-.- .-..^pu.ntr.y^ ;''.; eorresi>oiident -pf : tlie - "Poverty Bay Herald" write? onFebV : 13th;-' ■■■ ■ - /..:.• ■'■ ■"■■;■' .' -"-r .'■'.'':■;'■ " "The sawmill people ai\j having a bad time. 'So" far , Mr. Hall's and Messi-S; McLscd's mills at Matawai a,re safo, but shifts of men are standing by all night ready to man'the fire hoses connected: with the mill plant. On the Motu VaEey road, the fire off Mbrice's property swept in a diiie>ct line for Sloan's mill,- situated on the pro- ... terty of Mr J. B. Clark. By 9.30 p.m.. - Wednesday the cottages of the mill hands wore alight, and the last glimpse of the, site tliro'iigh the flames and smofcet was the null building and tim-ber-stacks burning furiously from both; ends. Mean while the wivos and families of the mill hands had* been hurriedly mcured to Matawai, together with what household,effects coxild be loaded on the. three, available bullock waggons. As much other portable property as. could "' be collected in time was- buried in pits .and covered over . with soil.. Tho fire is now (midday Thursday) bearing down on Drum-, mond' s. mill, and '-unless the wind drops and rain comes, it, too, will bc\ reduced to a heap of ruins. The fire-, along the Motii Valley . road ■ was a magnificent sight after dark. ■ . ■ Fences and telephone wires are- down in all directions, Kortes were smoked out,! .and had to shift. Marshall's, Riddick's, King's, and Buscko's proportias principally affected aro on the (mo wide—Bunrard's, Blair's, Honson and Green's, H. ' M:. MeKenzio', ■'AitivSii's, Abbotsford Smith's, Smith Bros., Rodpath's, . and beypud out to the front Morice's' Maisshall's,' Kid-", dicks, Maxwell's, King's, J. B. Clark's, .Aitken's, Beaufoy's, Shaw's, and Grace's. To give- an idea, of the rapidity of. the fire,, at 3 p.ni. on Wednesday Sloan's were cutting' and working .tho mill as usual; two hour* later they were practically surrounded by fire. Amidst the destruction of Sloan's rr.ill and cottagok tlip funny man was in evidence. Just as all hope of saving the plant was abandoned, the enginedriver gave several long, wailing blasts of the whistle,", and 1 the funny man ■on a. - mouth organ played a bar or two of tho Dead March. Then ap a..sheet of flame shot acioss there was <>, wi.d rush for the- open, -and that was the last the men. saw-.of their old homes. At this stage a man rushed back and. returned from amidst a- 'shower of sparkg with tho mill cat. Very few went to sleep last night around tho burning areas. la .Rakauroa pits were dug ready for the planting of household goods. Several.of the co-operative men have, been burned out, and some stood by their camps all night. The situation is '■ stilt i (Thursday) very, critical, aiid fr£<sh fire lines are-advancing. A buggy and pair had s trying time getting ■ through from :Bu«cke's to Matawai,, the, horsed snowing unmir--takable signs of;tho, nercche«i of 'thti : , fire-by the singtHi slat. 1-of'their coats ■■ 1 '"'Mr James Ga^dtu-;- had his whare, containing all' in' ; s .!.'■; .rs y.aod. burnt down by a secphd.fir<» vviiich broke out ! on-the clearing on hi.s section on "rim \ 47- •:*'_^ w —.'V--;: V