AUSTRALIAN BUSH FIRES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 13969, 27 January 1906, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN BUSH FIRES.

LOSS OF LIFE. HOMELESS SETTLERS. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES. AN ITALIAN HERO. United . Press Association—By E’.eotrio Telegraph—Copyright. MELBOURNE, January 26. The saving of Mr Clemson’s family .was largely due to the heroism of a man named Clava.rino, an Italian, who, when the house contiguous to the tank took fire, repeatedly extinguished the flames, although at each effort his own clothes were ignited. Th© heat became so intense that the women became hysterical and had to bo forcibly restrained from running straight into the flames. The fire is still burning in the valley of Little Franklin. In one instance the whole family were saved through taking refuge in a well. Thirty-two families are utterly homeless. These arc authenticated, hut there must be others, as it is difficult in the chaos that exists to get reliable news. The body of a man named Butler was found. He had been overcome trying to reach a relative’s residence. Round Daylesford the farmers are constructing fire breaks. It is feared that if the wind freshens the fire will come westward. A man named La Franconi, who was severely burned, died at Nargoon. A eucalyptus distillery was completely destroyed at Mortlake. An army of 800 people was engaged all day fighting the fire. Along the roads heaps of dead stock are to bo found. A COUNTRY IN ASHES. ALL THE' SETTLERS HOMELESS. HEROISM OF A TEACHER. A TERRIBLE NIGHT. SCRUB-CUTTERS IN PERIL. REFUGE IN A WATER-HOLE. MELBOURNE, January 26. The country from Hillend to Neerim was laid waste on Tuesday, and js?aotically all the settlers are homeless, The heroism of the schoolmaster Vales, at Toora, saved twenty-eight children. He collapsed again and again, and he went through a veritable furnace to get water to pour on the blankets. Mr Vales, interviewed, said that the children obeyed him and lay flat on the ground. Another man and .he kept the blankets wet. He got water from the burning school till it collapsed, and then went tarcugh the blazing scrub to a creek. The beys helped him when the fire was at its worst and ran into large logs and covered themselves with wet blankets, and as the logs caught fire they shifted to other logs. The school children stayed with him all night. Nine bodies were buried at Tcora yesterday. A man named Scales, and a party of labourers, while scrub-cutting at Binginwarrie, were surrounded by the fire. Their horses were ridden fiercely, but were so injured by th© fire that they had to bo shot. The men found refuge in a water-hole, which gradually filled with burning branches. They were in the water four hours, and one man who became temporarily insane was prevented by force from committing suicide. All ultimately escaped, but were nearly blinded and much scalded. , . TWO CHILDREN PERISH. THEIR MOTHER DEMENTED. SYDNEY, January 26. Mrs Walsh, while returning from a visit to her mother, accompanied by two children, got off the track in the Warren district and. wandered about in the dreadful heat. Both children perished from heat and thirst, but the demented mother was rescued. GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE. MELBOURNE, January 26. The Government is sending £IOOO to relieve the immediate necessities of the sufferers in Gippsland. ’