AUSTRALIAN FIRES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7706, 7 January 1905, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN FIRES.

Septs on the Damage. BjC. BSLIABLE DETAILS AMIYMG. HN" SYDNEY, Jan. 6. Mr*- ' The Railway- Commissioners are fc ~ allowing a large reduction on tho |- carriage of stock, fodder, fencing f' wire, etc., to the burned districts. Officers have been detailed by the , . Government to report on the dum- ** age. In some districts it is not so • severe as reported, and only limited Y assistance will be needed. Burrowa }. supplies a long list. Besides a large area of grass and much fencing, it had valuable crops, sheds and machinery destroyed. The biggest losers /**juk Davison, 7000 acres of grass and £3OO worth of hay ; Hurley, 10,000 acres of grass ; McGrath, grass, fencing, 1200 wethers, and -other stock. n*. ——At Rye Park, six houses were burned. Morgan Bros, lost 10,000 acres of grass, and the Tarrengo Es- %■ tatc £IOOO worth of fencing, besides grassAt Tumut, besides the destruction £' M of settlers' crops over a wide area about a dozen houses were burned, : ' s and Arentz lost 2000 bushels of corn and Tonkin crops and property of r the value of £6OO. At Adeldng, the GreenhiU's. stastation lost all the gruss, a wool shed, and about 4000 sheep. The homestead was also burned. Ellerslic and other large stations were '. ' swept clean of grass, and miles of fencing, much stock, and outbuildings \ and machinery were destroyed. Mr £. Treweek lost 600 sheep. £. The estimated damage in the Al- ~ hury district will exceed two hunthousand pounds. Cooma, Montgomery's sawmill 1 was destroyed. An old man named Don dell pcrished in trying- to save his hut, and , two .others were badly burned in fighting the flames, and had to be taken to the hospital. Vessels report encountering large crowds .of butterflies and other insects many miles out at sea. They were driven from land by the heat of the bush fires. SYMPATHY !H NEW ZEALAND. MEETING IN WELLINGTON. r r ; WELLINGTON, Jan. 6. The public meeting convened by the Mayor to consider what steps should be taj.cn to express practical sympathy with the sufferers by the bush ' fires in Australia was largely attended. The Hon. A. Pitt, AttorneyGeneral, was present. The Major _ explained that he had cabled to the Premier of New South Wales asking whether outside assistance was needed, but up to the present Had received no reply. The Hon. A. PHt _ favoured waiting for a reply, and mentioned that he was coumiunicatM -; ywitfc the Premier on the subject ~ ;of relief. Ultimately a motion oxpressing sympathy with the_ sufferers, -and that the citizens desire to express a wish, to contribute liberally to any external fund which might bo necessary, was carried. Later. The Mayor to-night received from Mr Carruthers, Premier of New South Wales, the following cablegram : "The fires have ceased. Good rains have fallen... The damage is >. nevere/but not so great as at first seemed probable. Local funds are " being raised, and will, I hope, suffice to meet all requirements. lam much gratified at the good spirit Wellington has evidenced towards sufferers in this State." *- This message puts a 'stop to the relief movement in Wellingtoni i WANGANUI OPENS SUBSCRIPTIONS. WANGANUI, Jan. 6. At a further meeting to-night it was decided to open subscription lists, to relieve sufferers by the Aus--0 .- tralia|i bush fires, and a committee "" ' was appointed to make a complete canvass of the town..