TERRIBLE BUSH FIRES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1868, 3 February 1892, Page 6

TERRIBLE BUSH FIRES.

DEVASTATION IN THE RIVERINA DISTRICT. Australian files to hand contain particulars of the terrible bush fires in the Riverina district. One telegram says : Ever since last Monday week reports have been constantly arriving from the thinlypopulated parts of the distriot of bush fires, which were continually breaking out, and it was anticipated that the forest conflagrations were going to be especially devastating this year. This is a natural sequence of good seasons like that just experienced ; but never before in the history of Upper Riverina haß a fire so stupendous in size and disastrous in results been known as the one whioh is now burning six miles from here. This fire started on Brookong Station, about forty miles from here, on Monday morning, and has since burnt in various directions as the wind changed to different points of the compass, until the area of country laid waste can only be calculated by tens of thousands of acres. The fire has traversed pastoral and farming districts, and pastoralists have lost woolsheds, grass, sheep, and fencing, and farmers their crops, stacks, and sheds, and in many instancesonly saving their homesteads with great iP»!ulty and not a little danger. The fire burnt in four different directions from Brookong with changes in the wind, first going north-west, then south-west, southeast, and east. The two last branches are | still burning. On Tuesday morning the fire went within two miles of Brookong homestead, but fortunately the station hands were able to keep it off the woolshed and houses. The fire continued on through Wallandool, burning a large quantity of grass and fencing, and on to Mundwaddera, where about 20,000 acres of grass were destroyed. The fire here and on Mittagong, Messrs Wrathall and Commondson's station, is still burning. The branch which burnt southeast of Muadwaddera is perhaps more devastating in its results than any other part of the fire, for the country passed through is populated by farmers, and nearly all the crops were standing ready for harvesting. Over 2,000 acres were completely destroyed, together, in a great many cases, with all outbuildings ; men, women, and children being all the time busily engaged in pouring water round the house to keep the fire off their homes. ' Those who had harvested were no better off, for straw, stacks, and bagged wheat were destroyed. Mr Lindiner, of Pleasant Sills, lost 600 bags of wheat, and Mr Gagee, of Doodle Cooma, 250. There are many other losses of this nature. It would be impossible to give any idea of the total damage done, or to convey any adequate conception of the dangers, sufferings, and difficulties which have arisen from this fire. The country is still ablaze, and all attempts to extinguish the flames are utterly useless, as a high wind is blowing, and the high grass is growing thick in all paddocks. Owners of stations can form no idea of the loss themselves yet, for when it was found that the fire could not be successfully contended against, fences were cut and stock allowed to run free. The fire at times was a living sheet of flame twelve or thirteen miles broad, and this morning the smoke here was so thick that the range of vision was limited to twenty or thirty yards. The wind has since dispersed these heavy volumes of smoke, and the fire is now visible from here on Mittagong Station. Many exceedingly narrow escapes from horrible death have taken place whilst men were endeavoring to save stock from the flames. Frequently these fire-fighters were surrounded by fire, and had to set fire to the grass in front of them, and drive the stock after the flames to save their lives. Up to the time of writing no intelligence of any lives being lost has been reported. The weather is now hot and fine, with high north-easterly winds. There is no prospect of rain, and until some heavy showers fall it is unlikely that these fires will be extinguished. Tbe fire, which started at Keindeen on Monday, was reported to be burning between Culcairn and Henty at a late hour last night. The fire has not much further to travel before reaohing the already burnt country at Mundwaddera. Several other small fires have been reported, and altogether the damage done in the past fortnight in Riverina must be enormous. A later telegram supplies the following additional facts : — Latest reports from parts of Riverina which have been laid waste by the terrible bush fires which were raging during the past week state that nearly all the fires have now been got under control. The fires have left the grass, and are confined to the trees and dead timber, so that they are travelling very slowly. Yesterday a few Blight showers of rain fell, but unfortunately nut enough to have any appreciable effect upon the fires ; and though last night there was a prospect of heavy rain it cleared away, and now there is every appearance of a continued stretch of dry weather. Some further particulars of the damage done by the big fire which burnt across from Urangeline Creek to the Great Southern railway are to hand, and show that nearly every selector in the line of country traversed by the fire has suffered great loss. Mr A. Crawford has lost 1,600 aores of grasß and a large quantity of fencing. Mr W. R. Ryan, of Green Park, had 2,000 acres grass destroyed, and a quantity of fencißg. In fact, everyone between the outbreak of the fire and the railway lost large quantities of fencing and more or less stock. Mr Bond had 1,700 acres on Auburn burnt, and 2,400 on Yarran. Messrs Johnson and Thomas were extremely unfortu nate, as they lost their woolshed, in addition to 1,280 acres of grass and a great deal of fencing. Mr Gleeson, of Arranmoor, had 1,800 acres of his property totally burnt; and Messrs Rice Broß,, of Broxholme, lost 3,000 acres of grass and a quantity of stock. Mr Hughes's woolshed was entirely destroyed, besides two large haystacks and 1,200 acres of grass, Messrs W. Brown, Noble, Kirby, Mitchell, Burke, and O'Connell all had quantities of grass burnt, ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 acres. Mr Rogers had a big fire on his Brewarrina estate, losing all the grass and fencing. All the country on the south side of Brewarrina is still burning. The Buckingbong fire iB now extinguished, not a blade of grass being left. Mr Jenkins is Bending 20,000 sheep to the mountains for grass, also 9,000 from Currajong and 6,000 from Kangaroo Plains. Mr Hill, manager ef Midgeor station, states that 2,000 sheep were burnt during the late fire on the station. It is impossible yet to know the amount of damage. The weather on Monday was very hot again. Yesterday was most disagreeable, a strong westerly wind blowing all day accompanied by clouds of dust, the thermometer registering 94deg in the shade. At eight o'clock last night a light shower fell, but not sufficient to lay the dust. The atmosphere cooled at midnight by 30deg. The weather to-day ib bright and clear, and beautifully cool. Rain is badly wanted, as the herbage is parched up by the hot winds and the sun, though stook are in splendid condition.

A Blackburn magistrate had before him an insurance claim, and he commented severely upon a system which allowed, as the present case, a woman to hold no lew than eight policies on lives in which she had not the least insurable interest. The magistrate refused to make an order for the sum claimed. •'John, John," the landlord says that if yon don't pay him to-morrow he'll raise the rent." « Well, I hope he will j I can't."