The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-10-27
AUSTRALIAN BUSH FIRE.
Hard Fight To save Buildings and stock
nc q sheep station.

Hard Flight 10 save buildings and stock
nc q sheep station.
II would he difficult for any one who
has never experienced or witnessed IA bush
fire to form any idea OF it's immensely and
even grandeur or to realize its far reaching
powers OF devastation n ravaging de-
struction. The origin ~ these fires may
in most cases be traced 10 carelessness
either on the part of travellers or natives.
and they are generally the result Of a
s1eserted campfire which has been left
smouIdering. Even a lighted match thrown
heedlessiy into the dry grass may give rise
to a conHagration over hundreds Of acres.
lasting perhaps for weeks and causing
the loss Of valuable pasture and even life.
Both squatters and settlers are in constant
dread OF this peril during the summer
months and seasons Of drought. and they
endeavor to minimize the danger Of bush
fires by posting up notices here and there.
nailed To trees near the track. inviting trav-
Oilers to put up at the stations rather than
risk the lighting Of campfires.
l have good cause to remember one such
fire on a station near Port Anguish. in
South Australia, writes a correspondent
Of the London Field. There had been a
splendid winter. The grass was thick
and high. and the lambing percentage
had been exceptional. Since October. now
ever, no rain had fallen beyond an occa-
sional slight showers. The dams. lagoons
and creeks were drying up and the long
grass was rapidly becoming rank and
woody. For weeks past the heat had beer
terrific. and the lurid haze which partly
obscnred the sun as il sank away 10 The
wcs; like a blood red ball and the ftful
waves Of HOT air which blew across The
plains Indicated but too surely that the
country was ablaze At no great distance.
Day by day the atmosphere became more
and more unbesrable, while the gusts Of
wind from the north We're as II from a
aging furnace. We were naturally on
the alert for emergencies. knowing full
we'll that. surrounded "a we were by ring
barked dead timber and high dry grass.
our powers would he taxed 10 their utmost
limits should a strong wind SET in: indeed.
the task would lie beyond our best united
efforts to avert disaster and loss.
While at breakfast one morning the sum
mons arrived for all the hands 10 saddle
up AZ once and start OH for "Balmoral
Castle" thename givent 10 our shepherds log
hut. On arriving there wa saw at a glance
that nothing short of a heavy downpour OF
rain or a sudden change in the wind could
save the situation. As il could only be the
work of "a very short time for the run to he
completely gutted we ivide our forces.
some OF us mastering the daZed and half
-uffocated sheep to drive them away into
safety. while the rest started 20 combat
the flames by beating them out with bags
and boughs. BY this means vi were at
least able 10 hold our own for some con-
siderable time. but the strain OF such con-
~tinuous effort can be better imagined than
described. for in this fearful heat. amid
the SCOT and smoke, we dared not relax our
labors for a moment.
Our difficulties we're further increased In
the afternoon. when the wind began to de-
scribe those eddying circles 30 common in
Australia, carrying cinders, leaves and hot
ashes in rapid circular columns to a great
height in rapid succession and scattering
the debris in all directions, setting fire to
the grass behind us, hus rendering our
efforts 10 isolate the burning heritage OF no
avail. We now devoted all our energies to
saving the terrified sheep, for while we knew
that by cutting the fences and opening the
gates the horses and cattle wou find their
way out, the sheep had 10 be driven, and
under the circumstances this was no easy
matter; indeed We found our sheepdogs Of
inestimable value
As the flames, fanned by the breeze, rap
idly enveloped the dead gun and box trees
they merged into one huge bonfire, while
the crashing of withered limbs or a giant
anything alive which might pass near or
under it. At last we succeeded in driving
most Of the sheep away to q salt bush fiat
which was absolutely clear OF grass or
tree, but Many Of them had been smothered
in the crush or been killed by falling tim
Der. Leaving a few Of the men in charge of
the sheep. we galloped along the creek
which bounded the fire in the hope that we
might check its progress, but here again
we were baffied, n IL was now evident
the station. in case the buildings should be
endangered, cutting away he grass for
some distance around.
About shutdown the wind dropped and We
were at last able TO get some rest and re-
freshmen, which we sorely needed. al
though we had to take our turns at watch
ing all through the night. Our spell was
soon over, however, for with the dawn the
wind started afresh, increasing with every
moment and soon the cinders from the
burning trees were flying about and GREAT
ing a pandemonium even worse than the
preceding day.
A huge gum tree, ring barked and partly
dead, not far from the woolshed caught
fire, and the eucalyptus timber, which is
highly infammable. was soon ablaze. The
she'd was doomed for a certainty, and no
time could be lost in clearing out the bales
of wool from the last crop and the sheep
skins stored there. Scarcely was the place
emptied when a burning limb fell across the
corrugated roof and the greasy pens and
boards became n furnace. In a shorl
time not n vestige Of the woolshed remained
but the roof. Tho fire had indeed done its
worst. aud riding round n few days later
l saw a truly desolate scene.
Grass had entirely disappeared, bushes
were charred and shrivelled. the ground
was strewn with ashes and burned timber,
while snakes. lizards, possums, birds and
many carcasses of sheep were lying about.
Traces OF smouldering timber remained for
many "a day, until a heavy downpour Of rain
put an efectual end 20 it. The sheep and
cattle had now TO depend on salt and
-blue" bush as their only fodder, although
the bountiful rains which came shortly
after brought rich crops OF grass, the ground
having been thoroughly fertilizsd by the
wood ash and manure from the burned vege-
tation.