THE RECENT BUSH FIRES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3527, 18 January 1886, Page 3

THE RECENT BUSH FIRES.

Mr G. A. Marehant forwards to tho Tai'anail Herald tho following graphic description of a portion of the late fire m the New Plymouth district :— For days past the fire had been lurking about, doing moro good than harm, and on Wednesday morning I thought it safo to leave home for New Plymouth, placing things m charge of my very good friend J. On the way up we noticed that a good deal of fire had been ahont tho country north of Midhurst, and fellow-travellers told of two or three- houses which hod been burnt. Having, however, been aware of several most circumstantial stories to tho same effect, which turned out baseless, wo roserved our sympathy until tho facts wero proved. Tho return jpurney passed off quietly enough until nearing Midhurst again, and from there dense smoke was apparent clown tho line, nnd wo wero speedily informed that tli c Kahonri railway bridgo had been on fire, and that great caution was necessary. Forward wo crept, the smoko getting denser and denser, until it was almost as dark r.s night, tho light from tho fires blazing m every direction being barely enough to illuminate the gloom, although tho sun was yet high. Slower and slower became our paco as we approached tho bridge, whon all at onco the welcomo forms of tho maintenance nion loomed up through the smoke, and tho road being pronounced safe, away we wont. Houso after house was seen to bo m imminent danger, and ono at least had been burnt clean out, Thiokor aud thicker grew the smoko as the train pulled up at the Stratford m the midst of an excited crowd, now witnessing for the first time tho gloomy horrors of a real bußh fire. And now that ono can peer through tho amoko, it is seen that overy log and stump is on fire, and has ovory apparent intention of remaining so. The Town Hall is burnt down, but its remains aro still blazing. Tho houses of Messrs Huntor and Stanloy aro m ashes. Mulreo's storo is closed and deserted, and fire surrounding the buildings on three sides. Curtis' store and tho hotel are m great danger, and safety there is none. Nu,m,b.or<3 aro crowding tho trap to escape d«wn to Hawqra, arid urgent remonstrances aro made to tho writer not to attempt to reach his home, as tho Opunako road is ono masa of firo. . The flvo-riiilerldo begins. And such a flvo miles! Logs, stumps, fences, standing trees, grass and green 'scrub — everything is burning. Two -wayfarers on tho road, warn the rider to turn baok, but duty and affection call him on. Steadily forward tho good horso goes, though his eyes aro stroaming with tears, until a fallen rata m a deep cutting compels a halt; -while high overhead, on the top of the latter, another tree, standing on only a elender fork, and still burning

fiercely, threatens to fall at any moment and crush us. Tho roadway proving impracticable, wo hark back, and try to got along an old track, but without avail, firo and logs barring the way. Back to the cutting and to work to try and. force a way through the rata top, and with many an upward glanco at tho tottering treo overhead. A fractured limb yields, a fow moro vigorous twists, and it is down, and a narrow passage for tho horso is cleared, which he, however, obstinately rofuses to look at. There is but •sant time for ceromony, and a couple of smart blows from a stick made him think it may bo cooler m front, and m a second or two we are off onco moro. Tho impressiveness of the scene ns night closes m, is beyond description; You know Martin's awful pictures of tho infernal regions, and his pen alone could do justice to the subject. But it is midnight now as theßO lines aro written, and thoro lias been but little timo for gazing, as ono has to prepare for to-morrow's battle by filling the tank, and do sontry go around tho house and outbuildings. But tho thunder of tho rat-as as they fall ovory few minutes, the crash of the pine limbs burnt through and sending up myriads of sparks as they reach tho ground, the rising and sinking of tho fires m cverv direction, mako up a picture not easily forgotten, for I want your readers to understand that it is not only big timber that is burning, but that every small stick, every chip, every dry thistlo stick burns as a spark reaches it, and that this is going on over thousands of acres of old clearings m this district. But the writer has seen it all before, and summer after summer has ventured to warn his fellow-settlers of what must come. Come it now ha 3 ; and he is now compelled to point out Hint tho trouble is by no means past. Day after day as timber, grass and scrub get drier nnd drier, tho fire will continue to sneak about until rain comes, or until there is nothing left to burn, and to-morrow may be thcreforo looked forward to with some concern. But after all, tho good t-hnt is being done is beyond all estimation. Hundreds of men logging up and burning off for a year would not accomplish what the firo is doing m a fow days, and when things do clear off we shall find our farms turned into almost open land.