Later Particulars

Feilding Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 151, 25 January 1906, Page 2

Later Particulars

Gnat Destruction of Property. More Lives Lost Received Jan 25, 10.2 a.m. Melbourne, This Day A fire started at Toora, Qippsland, on Tuesday night to the west of the township. It swept round the Hoddle Range, devastated a stretch of timbered country, destroyed many homesteads, burned the new Methodist Church and State School. The flames sweeping up the road overtook six children named Longdale, their ages ranging from three to thirteen years and suffocated them before the mother's eyes. The children were on their road from school and became bewildered by the blazing country and smoke, and rushed towards the fire and fell. The mother managed to save the baby, while the eldest daughter, aged 17, was saved through getting into a creek. During the fire great courage and resource was shown by the State School teacher who placed 18 chil* dren under wet blankets and saved them all. Standing amid the suffocating smoke and flames he kept throwing water over his charges. The bridge over the Agnes River caught fire, and is still burning. The flames leapt through the carriage windows of the mid-day train to Melbourne. Two more bodies have been found of two married men named Bwan and Crisp. Several families are missing.