THE FIRES IN AUSTRALIA

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume L, Issue 9001, 25 January 1906, Page 8

THE FIRES IN AUSTRALIA

FURTHER LOSSES OF LIFE.

Axr> GREAT DESTRUCTION" OF PROPERTY.

A BRAVE SCHOOL TEACHER.

[press association.] (Received January 25. 10.2 a.m ) MELBOURXE, January 25 A fire started at Toora. Gippsla^d. on Tuesday night, to the west of the township. It swept round Hoddle Range and devastated a stretch of timber country and destroyed many homesteads. It burned a new Methodist Church and a Stale school.

The flames sweeping up the road overtook six children named Lonsdale. their ages ranging from three to thirteen, and suffocated them before their mother's eyes. Some children on the road from school biecame blinded by the blazing country and smoke, and rushed towards the fire and fell. The mother managed to save a baby, while the eldest daughter, aged seventeen, was savied through getting into a creek.

During the. fire great courage and resource were shown by a State school teacher, who placed 17 children under wet blankets and saved them all. Standing amid suffocating smoke and flames, he kept throwing water over his charges.

A bridge over Agnes river cauglit 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, those of two married men. Swan and Crisp. Several families are missing. v

AN APPALLING EXPERIENCE.

DEATH ROLL TOTALS. 14.

(Received January 25, 10.2 a.m.) MELBOURNE, January 25. Hundreds aTe homeless between Foster and Welshpool. Owing to the destruction of the telegraph lines it is difficult to get particulars. The fire swept the country with appalling rapidity and annihilated farm houses, out -buildings, stock and crops, and cutting off, in many cases, the. avenue o£ escape of settlers at Woorara West. The corpse of an invalid named Williams was found lying in the centre of the road. Two settlers were attempting to carry the man to a place of safety when the fire came roaring down, on them. They struggle id on but their difficulties were added to by the struggles of the sick man. They made a desperate fight to save his life, but the time came when tfiey had to abandon him and fight for their own lives. They managed to reach safety. No living thing could stand the heat unprotected. Animals dropped dead and withered before tne fiery blast. Twenty men, ' women ami children crowded into a four-roomed houses at Berry, all moTe or less scorched by heat. The death roll at present is fourteen.

At the examinations held in 1905 Miss ** j ,^» ung P asse<i matriculation, and Mills passed civil service. Master Con Strack passed the London City and ™ «*»»»» in woodwork and drawing. AH the above candidates were from Hawera District High School.

Miss Reilly. teacher of music, commences tuition on February 1.

Among the new stock at Mr A. H. Arthur's some of the principal items are new brass-rail bedsteads, latest novelties in rattan i-liairs. settees, cake stands, etc., and artistic designs in linoleums.