The Norsewood Fire of 1888

Ormondville Rail Preservation Group Inc.

Norsewood Fire - March 1888

From: Hawkes Bay Herald - Note that additional comments are shown in "[]".

Fires in the Bush

Hawkes Bay Herald 17 March 1888 3(2). (From our own Correspondent - Ormondville, March 16, 1888)

Tremendous fires are raging in the bush. The wires are down as I write this (4:15 o'clock), but I think this brief note will get through [doubtless by train]. I have just arrived here from Norsewood, having had great difficulty in getting through, as the whole place appeared to be in flames. Fires are burning in other parts of the bush, but the gravest conflagration is at and near Norsewood. The country for miles around is in flames, and as a terrific gale is blowing the fire is spreading with dreadful rapidity. When I left Norsewood, four places had been burnt, namely Mr Pettersen's blacksmithing shop, Mr Ries's dwelling (the parsonage), a house owned by Mr Small and occupied by Mr Dunn, and Mr Ingvoldsen's house.

In all probability others have since been destroyed, the gale causing the fire to rage with great fury. Everybody is hoping for rain, heavy and long continued, as that appears to be the only thing that will stop the flames. The settlers were working hard when I got through trying to save Small's and Gribble's stores. The outlook appears to me to be a very grave one unless rain comes and the wind drops.

Ormondville

Hawkes Bay Herald 20 March 1888 3(4) (From our own Correspondent - March 17, 1888)

The losses by the fire of yesterday are, I hear, as follows:- Engwaldsen, house burnt; Englebretsen, house and furniture burnt also coaching plant [the Ormondville-Norsewood coach]; the Wesleyan Minister's residence burnt, and the Rev. Mr Neilsen scarcely knows how much of his furniture has been saved; the school buildings and teachers residence are both destroyed, as are also the Lutheran Church, the residence of Pastor Ries with barn and stable, the Temperance Hall, the Working Men's Club; Mr Petersen's smithy, wheelwright's shop and butchery, as well as his barn, slaughterhouse and haystack; Mr C. Christoffersen's house; Mr Torstensen's house; Mr N. Hansen's house; Mr C. Johansen's house; and Mr O. Christoffersen's house; the house occupied by Mr Dunn; Mr Westlake's Norsewood store; Mr Thomasen's two cottages; a cottage owned by a Napier resident; a barn and a cottage belonging to Mr T. Olsen; Mr Hanges's store and stable; a cottage owned (I think) by Mrs J.W. Thomsen; the dwelling-houses of Mr O. Olsen, Mr P. Magnussen, Mr H. Mortensen, and the barns of Mr T. Irwin and C. Olsen. All of these have been destroyed, and their contents also in several cases.

On the Ormondville-road [Norsewood-Ormondville Road] five cottages have been destroyed, and on the German Line [Te Whiti Road] the houses of Messrs Lindorf and Fischer are gone, while Messrs Hulena, Leopold and Muller have lost everything but their houses. Everyone on the German Line seems to have lost something or other, but Lindorf is the heaviest loser, he having lost about everything he had.

I believe that, warned by past fires [e.g. 1886], nearly all have insured, but still they will be heavy losers. I have not heard what insurance offices have suffered in this fire.

The fire drove on towards Ormondville before a fierce gale, which prevented the almost suffocating smoke from rising. Mr Kuhtzee [Kuhtze] had hard work to save his house and brewery, the latter catching fire twice, but he succeeded in saving all his property, except an express valued at £30, which was at Norsewood and was burnt.

Things were looking very serious about Ormondville at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, and many of the Norsewood folk who had come in here for shelter found that they were just as likely to be stifled with smoke here as at home and in fact to be in the midst of the fire, but by 9 o'clock rain was falling and a thunderstorm broke near here, setting all fear of fire at rest for the present.

Before the rain came the violence of the gale was such that pieces of fire as large as a man's hand were driven for a distance of three-quarters of a mile away, while the smoke prevented any attempt from being made to save property, nor could anyone breathe within yards of the fire. The Junction Hotel [Norsewood, corner Norsewood-Ormondville Road] caught fire three times, but was put out. Many other fires caused by sparks were got under, but where any body of fire was seen no course but retreat was open.

The bridge between here and Norsewood is burnt down, or rather enough damage was done to render it unfit for traffic, but there is no doubt that it will be promptly attended to and the burnt span replaced.

The wind fell here as soon as the rain began to fall, and it is beautiful and calm today, but the danger is only hidden, and should the wind blow as hard as it did yesterday we may have some trouble here yet.

Footnote: Subsequent editions and other regional newspapers described numerous incidences where people came close to losing their lives, and where others selflessly risked their own lives to save individuals or families at close risk of death. No human lives were lost, but many farm animals (and obviously native wildlife) were burnt to death, especially pigs and dogs that had accidentally been left on their chains. People and animals were blinded for several days because of the smoke, suggesting that the fact no-one died was probably miraculous. Some 40 families were left homeless, totalling 170 people. Of these, 17 families, or 70 people were left with virtually nothing. While many had insurance, the properties of a significant number of settlers in this struggling community were heavily mortgaged, meaning that little or none of the insurance money would reach them. However, people throughout the country banded together to donate food, clothing, blankets and numerous other necessities to the effected people, and these were sent into the Seventy-Mile-Bush by train - consigned to Ormondville Station.