SERIOUS FIRES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1452, 9 January 1886, Page 2

SERIOUS FIRES.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT GERALDINE, On Thursday night, a few minutes before 12 o’clock, the inhabitants of the upper township, Geraldine, were aroused by an alarm of fire. The bright glare was sufficient te indicate that it had broken out in the block of buildings on the corner of Talbot and Wilson streets, occupied by Mr W. R. Lawson, butcher, and Mr M. Connolly, saddler. The fire was discovered by Mr S, Tracy, Mr Lawson’s assistant, who sleeps on the premises. On coming home at the time stated, and going round to the back to get to his room, the smell of fire attracted his attention, and presently he saw the glare through the back window of Mr Connolly’s premises. Tracy then rushed over to the Crown Hotel and aroused Mr Connolly, and next proceeded to awaken Mr Lawson, and to assist him in getting bis family out of the house. A crowd rapidly collected, and efforts were made to secure Mr Lawson’s effects from his dwelling-housa, nearly all of which wore conveyed to a place of safety. Mr Connolly’s shop was speedily enveloped in flames, so that he was unable to save scarcely anything beyond his books, and the fire In the space of a very short lime spread into Mr Lawson’s premises. Finding it impossible to do anything to the burning buildings, the attention of the crowd was directed to those adjoining —an old storeroom and stable at the back of Mr Connolly’s, and an empty shop on the main street between Mr Connolly’s and Mr Baxter’s store. The storeroom was saved only by dint of hard work, the roof »nd weatherboards being more than half burnt through. The empty shop was also saved by a constant supply of water being poured upon it. Had this building gone, nothing could have saved the next three—viz,, Messrs Baxter’s and Wood’s stores and the Quakdiait Office ; Mr Taylor’s Hotel would also have been in danger. In about an hour’s time the two buildings on fire were completely gutted, nothing being left but the brick and cob walls of Mr Lawson’s bouse and shop. Fortunately a light misty rain had been falling all the evening, and it had the effect of making everything damp and lessened the danger from sparks. Plenty of water was got for a time from Mr Lawson’s and Mr Baxter’s wells, but on these running dry it had to be brought rrom the two hotel wells, and the one at the back of Mr Cook’s, There was a largo number of persons on the scene, and many worked hard and with good will to save the adjoining buildings. Mr Lawson, in addition to the loss of all jibe accessories of his trade in the butcher’s shop, lost a sum of money, which, as far as he can recollect, was about £ll. The buildings destroyed were owned by Mrs H. Holloway, and were insured in the National Office for £3OO. Mr Lawson was uninsured. Mr Connolly’s stock was in--BUre(j_{or £l4O in the Union and £l5O in the yictdria Ofjices ; but as he had within the past; few weeks repeiyed a large stock of new goods, he estimates his . . . .norm the insurance, loss at about over ...

The origin of the fire is unknown. Mr Connolly left his shop at about half-past in tfie evening, and everything was apparently safe. The premiers harbored a large number of rats, and they may have caused the fire by igniting some wax vestas. Of course, this is only a surmise, but it may be a correct one.

FIRE IN THE WAIHI BUSH. On Thursday the fire in the Wailiißuah was still raging strongly on the north side of the river in Messrs Webb and Corraack’s Bush. The bush on the south side of the river from the old clearing to the upper end of the bush has been burned out, and Messrs Webb and Cormack have lost in this over 100 cords of out firewood. Yesterday morning we learned that the bush was still burning, nnd, unless the progress of the fire is stayed by the rain which has fallen, there will be danger, in the event of a nor'wester, of the whole of the bush on the north side of the river being burned. EIRE ON THE ORARI PLAINS. The Geraldine Road Board have suffered a considerable loss through a fire, which bompletely destroyed the plantation at Cooper’s Creek ou Thursday, The fire originated from one lit by some of the employes of the Board. About half a mile of Mr D. Shaw’s fence was also destroyed. The plantation was one of the best the Board had, the trees being upwards of 10ft high ; and as it has been shut up for four years the grass of course was very thick and long, and the fire swept over the whole of it, Mr Tolleff’s house, ou the’opposite bank of the creek from the plantation, also had a narrow escape. From all parts of the colony there are accounts of extensive and destructive fires. At Parnell (Auckland) an unoccupied 4-rooraed cottage was burned down on Wednesday. On Thursday a fire at Auckland destroyed the shop and dwelling of J. E. Davis, a grocer, and spread thence to Belmont House, owned by James Cross, which was partially destroyed. All these premises were insured.

Mnsterton was on Wednesday surrounded by fires, but the exertioas of the townspeople kept them from spreading into the town. At Mania a large area of bush and grass was burned, and a large quantity of stock destroyed. On Thursday the little town of Taneru seemed destined to be destroyed by the fires raging round it, but the pluck and perseverance of the settlers averted the danger. , , , Two cottages were burned down at Hawera on Wednesday. A bush fire swept into the town of Stratford, lying between Hawera and New Plymouth, on Wednesday afternoon and before it could be checked had destroyed thirty-four houses, including the Town Hall. The Railway bridge was charred, but not destroyed. The public offices, and principal stores and hotels were saved. Between twenty and thirty families are homeless, and numbers of women and children have been taken to Hawera. A special train with an engine and the Fire Brigade was despatched from New Plymouth on Thursday. Subscription lists have been opened in New Plymouth. The State school at Hokitika, built at a cost of £4OOO, was destroyed by fire on Thursday morning. The school was closed for the holidays, and the fire is attributed either to incendiarism, or by boys getting underneath it and, playing with matches. There was no water available or the principal part of the building might have been saved. Large bush fires are raging in the Nelson district, and the atmosphere is full of smoke. In the Clark and Motupiko Valleys a fire i? raging for thirty miles, and the West Coast coach had to put back on Thursday as it was unable to get through. By a tussock fire at Raiala on Wednesday fifteen acres of barley belonging to a farmer named Harrison were burnt, and a clean sweep made of the fences and pasturage for miles. The fire is supposed to have been caused by a farmer starting to burn tussocks.

A shop and dwelling-house owned and occupied by Henry Edge, and a cottage belonging to a Mrs Stewart, near Lancaster Park, Christchurch, were destroyed by fire on Wednesday. Both places were insured. A fire has broken out in the Fernh’ll coal mine (Otago), and the mine has been blocked up for the present.

A special message to the Hawera Star gives the following additional information with reference to the fire at Stratford. The fire, which only seems to have lasted four or five hours, came across the cleared •pace fronting township from the mountain, from which direction it had been blowing all day. It must have been terrific in its force, to judge from the appearance of everything. Imagine a apace one mile square, covered with logs and stumps in one huge blaze, with smoke rising in dense volumes, and some idea can be obtained of what it was like. This is the description given by those who saw it, for they say that there was not a but was alight, and large lumps of lighted timber blew about everywhere. It is a miracle that any house remains. It was only by constant watching and battling with the elements by constantly pouring water on the logs that it was kept down, and even this was fast wearing out the energies of the oambatants, who, with the joint effects of smoke and fire were .almost blinded and suffocated; in fact, if the wind had not changed the whole town must have gone. As it was, parties had to keep relieving one another by going down to the swamp and obtaining a little fresh air, which was the only place where it could be obtained. Although, fortunately, the damage to the town it} coni paratively light, I might say that almost half the houses in the neighborhood are either destroyed or mutilated. So far, intelligence is to a great extent uncertain, but people are camping out in the green bush to save their lives ; not all of them have come in. Up to the present, however I have information, more or less authentic, of no less than twenty-nine different places bqing bqrotj the damage to which it is difficult at present fo Wiaiate, but it must'run to 4,7000 or £BOQO at least. The fire appears to have started up the Opunake Road last week. Since then the fire has been gradually spreading, and as the wind rose yesterday it made rapid strides, running across the country from Eltham to Midhursl in a terrible manner. The appearance of the town is pitiable. Houses that are standing have all their adjuncts burned or carried away, and ip many instances the building itself

i —. j nniw. saved by tie* 13 charreo, aiu »«» —„ termined drenching on the part of toe inmates. Animals ore reported to have been burned in all directions, and I have seen already several cases ip wlijph pigs have been burnt alive, and fowls, etc., scorched up. Nearly all the cattle and bones shifted for themselves and ate

missing, the fences being burnt (flown and the animals having cleared for ft)®*? lives. Hourly persons are corning in from the back country with sad tales of houses and furniture burnt before their eyS5--J* n< l their little all torn from them, while themselves had to hurry,from the scene. However no cases of death are reported, although one or two persons are reported missing. Nearly everyone who passed a through the fire is blind or partially so, I and this morning (Thursday), I have 1 witnessed the sad spectacle of strong men \ being led into town by those more fortunate than themselves, they not being able to open their eyes at all. They hold up bravely, however, under their mis* fortunes, although in many cases so dazed by the smoke and excitement that they . reel like drunken men. My own eyes a|M badly damaged, and I can imagine frooH that what it must have been for those the thick of it. No loss of human life is " yet recorded, but most of the people have suffered burns, and much injury to their eyes, owing to the smoke. Mr Harnock, a settler who worked hard all day, and was brought down by the special here, is seriously ill. A good many are yet missing. The Borough Council of Hawera held a special meeting on Thurs day morning, and appointed a Committee to look after the homeless who have been brought here. A special to the Taranaki Herald yesterday says Midhurst is in danger and requesting more help from New Plymouth, A special train is required to get the women and children into town. Although the Mayor applied at noon on Thursday for a special train logo to Stratford, no permission was received by the--Stationmaster to run one till near’y five o’clock. The railway authorities are condemned right and left for the obstructions they have put in the way for sending relief. The extent of the fire is four miles towards the mountains, five miles inland, twelve miles toward Hawera, and two miles toward Inglewood. Two or three premises near Midhurst, a town three miles from Stratford, have also been burnt, and many narrow escapes are recorded. There has been heartrending destruction to property, the damage being fully £IO,OOO. The fire ie said to have commenced afresh yesterday morning at Midhurst. There are no signs of rain, although the glass is falling there. The people at Stratford could not understand why no help came from New Plymouth ; the railway authorites could not be stirred, and the Fire Brigade had to wait till the regular 4 p.m. train went. Melbourne, Jan, 6. Serious bush fires are reported in various localities in Victoria and the Otway ranges. In the western district a tract of country forty-five in extent is in flames.