LOSS OF LIFE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XL, Issue 1, 3 January 1905, Page 4

LOSS OF LIFE.

THE GREATEST IIEAT FOR FORTYSIS YEARS: (Received Dec. 31, 8 52 p.m.) SYDNEY, Deo. 81. Bush fires are general. The town of Delegate, in the BombaTs district, is oncircled by flames, and jbhe whole of the residents are out fighting thefts S. nuih-bi-r of Bettlers have bedn burned out, and there has been great dtsßtrUctiolL bf propart}, including wheat, stock, aiia Wool. A wide circle in tlm Goulbutji disfcrlßt has been ewgpt fey Hroß, which are still Paging. (Received .Tan, 1, 1.8 p.m.) SYDNEY, Deo. 31. Telegraphic communication with the main centres is interrupted, but those reporting to-day noiljy indiOito <:toler . aeatkor Berrigcn, with 125 degre 8, topped yesierday's records ; Condobolin 122 degrees, Goodooga 120, Bourke 113, Sundagai 115. > b'ivo distinct flros devastated the oouu* try all around Gundagai tor a distance of froai j.5 to 30 miles, and very few settlers in that area escaped either total or partial destruction. The losses are e3timat-« ed at <£10,CLO. In the Burrowa district over 2000 sheep and other stock were burned. I i Maiilundj Goulburn^ and Mumimbur- ' rah districts reported that tremendous ,• fires aro raging, there being a visb <|ee« ! traction of g rass and crops. Many s>fc- ! tiers are rained; . and ,in Bomo cases the townships were endangered', Lho whole of the residents being out fighting the flames, (Received Jan. 1, t .52 p.-m.) SYDNEY, Jan tary I. •Yesterday the reading at the Observatory which is usually five to 10 dogrees coole i than the city, was 107.6. Only, one t warmer day has been recorded during the • past, 43 years. la tho suburbs the tern- - poiaturo ranged up to 117, and at 8 p.m. it waa still 100 in the city, and then fell under a southerly change. Disastrous grass ani bush fires are raging in tK Itiverina, doing tremendous ■ damage to crop3. Homesteads have been i awepb away, an! farmers' families ar | taking refuge iu the township. A band ! of fire fighters aro striving to Bavo" pr"0» pert> botweon .luaeo and Turn at, where ; an area 50 mile3 by 31) is a seething moss | of n«.'» I Nearly all' the farmers at Adolong ara i burnt out, and thu telegraph linos in all ' dirutious are burnt. (Keeivod Jan. 2, O.IG a.m ) SYDN.KY. January 2. The latest roporte from tho Kiverina | stated that the tires are rapidly spread* I' iug, and tho whole district between Gundagai and Adalongaud Junes und Wag t is ablaze. Thirty thousand acres at 3 Wautabadgery and Cura Btaliona were ; ddetroyoa. Jtany smaller settlers haVe ■ lost home and everything, and iC is impossible to calculate the loss s of crops, 1 stuck, and fencing. 1 Two men uamud Srodgrass and Pal lon ! were burned lo death at VVaggn. Fallon I Was attempting to save a t jam of niue ■ horses, wlncii also perished. A third man 9 • is misoiug. I Dibtressia^ talus oi losseß como from :, Goulburu, M.aitlan-1, Dulegate, Mosavalo, !- tho Bouth Goast, and ma >y other districts. • i At Buudanoon the Church of England and se ven houaeawere dostroyod-. I u the tourists' centres much fine scon- ,' ory and gem's rtsidenliea were swept ft way, Thorn, were many narro w escapes, nuiubuiS of pardons saving Ibeir lives by • taKiag rufu^e in tho waterh >les. ' ■ - [ The Governmout has instructed tho I. ; police lluou,{bout the State to use every ; ettovt io ii9aiQ t aud relieve sufferers from l- Lush hi' oa. \ i | ( Lloceived January 3, 1.10 am.) ■3 SYDNEY, Yesterday, t L'he fire fighlura are having a terrible time Wliole towatLips have been ea- , ' gaged for days iu battle, aud many are Z completely oxhauated. There arc i, ' several unc^nnrmed reports oi persons I being missed. I The fires are slill raging furiously for b . many miles, and round uuudagai, a wide u orea of graziug aud agricultural laud - has beeu devastated, fhe damage is esli inatud at liuudreas of thousands, At ( Narrandera thousands of acres of grass and miles of fencing have been burned. The Grougirong, Buudidgarie, and Buckingboug stations, at Cootamundra, and lho Muttamurs estate Uavo been ' swopt away. J At Branxton the thermometer reg 8» tored 116. For miles the country is ablaze, and many farmers are ruined and homoloss. q Similar reports come from OaTcoar and e the tlillsgrove districts round Mossvale, i Scores of farms are being swept for miles n aud oa both sides of the railway there is 3 a seething mass of flames round the ■~ roKuship of Sutton, which iu forest stir* II rounded. The Astronomer predicts an early I change and an extension of rain from the southern States. The thurniomoter at Parramatta on D Saturday registered 117. n The tull extout of the damage to the • country is unknown civing to the intera ruplion of telograph hnea. To-day's ro-> J ports show that the fires are still raging in many places, l'he langes in the vicinity of .Uaitlaud are ablaze for a disuoe of BBven miles, ana there is a magnificent spectacle. Thousands of acres of gra3S and miles of fencing, tvith much stock and many I Betfclors' homes, havo beun destroyed, , The grapo crops aro ruined, and the I fire is still spreading. A greiib part of tho district round llbury has been completely swept, and many farmers in the ' adjoiniiijg districts L have boen bumed out. The JO3ses are i enormous. Lenehaii'a farm, at Jindera, was destroyed, ani M.is Lenthin perished in tho flames. Five deaths from ;.»eat apoplexy occurred ac Albury, and numbers elsewhore. Teinora is circled by fires, and the country has boon sivopt for luiloa. Birds drapped dead from thu intense heat, and over a thousand sheep porislied. At tCobortsoii's Mimosa Station one man was severely burned, another is OUBdlUg. The Cunningham Plains Station, M urrummburrali, lost forty thousand ; aores of grass. The fire id ten miles wido, and sweeping Garangula Station, where many sheep and cattle perished. The mountain rango along the south coast u ablaze for miles, with giand effect aa sosn from passing vessels.