ESTIMATES OF THE DEAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19254, 17 February 1926, Page 11

ESTIMATES OF THE DEAD.

MANY PERSONS MISSING.

SOME AWFUL EXPERIENCES. TOWNSHIPS WHOLLY CONSUMED By Telegraph—Press Association-— Copyright. A. and N.Z. MELBOURNE. Feb. 16. Reports to hand this morning from the areas which have been devastated by the bush-fires gave the total of those who had been burned to death as 23. It was stated that it was feared, however, that that number would be greatly exceeded. The fires are the greatest that have been experienced since 1899. The centres which have suffered the worst are:— Warburton, where 14 deaths occurred. Pat's Creek, with seven deaths. Noojee, with five deaths. Erica, with two deaths. In addition more than 30 persons were unaccounted for in the Warragul area alone. No estimate had been formed this morning of the number of people who had not been located in the other centres of Gippsland. Incalculable damage has been done to property and live stock, and many square miles of valuable timber have been destroyed. Settlers' homes in all parts of the State h&ve also been destroyed in large numbers. Many Centres Still Out Off. The town of Noojee was demolished. Only for the fact that one brick building withstood the fury oJ the fire and afforded shelter all the inhabitants must have been burned. Five post offices were destroyed and also several schools. The telegraph and telephone services have been so badly dislocated in many centres where it is feared that loss of life and damage to property has occurred that they cannot be communicated with. Many fires are still raging, though the strong wind has dropped. Rain is the only hope in many centres. The weather forecast, however, is not promising. Refugees and homeless children who have passed through most harrowing experiences are pouring into the large settlements in search of food and shelter. Plight of Women and Children. Relief parties have been sent out from Warburton in motor-cars to the rescue of settler 3 whose homes have been burnt, and who are probably without food. Large numbers of women and children, half stupified by smoke and by their terrible experiences, were seen sitting along the roadside waiting helplessly fo> assistance. A search party which went into the ruined Powell Forest found the charred bodies of 14 persons close together. They were mostly those of men who had been employed in the timber industry at Erica. Twenty houses and four timber mills were destroyed there. It is feared that further loss of life occurred at Knott, which, although it is only four miles from Walhalla, cannot be reached owing to the fires still burning on the only road. The telephone wires are down. Some of Missing May bo Dead. Thirty persons are missing from the immediate environs of Walhalla. Later reports from Warragul stated that the loss of life in the Noojee and Nayook areas would probably be greater than was at first anticipated. It*. was feared that most of the persons who were then posted as missing had succumbed. The whole of the district extending from Bunyip to Darnum, on the main Gippsland line, and from Nayook to Noojee, on the spur line from Warragul, appears to have been a blazing inferno. The fact that at Wanburton the fire spread quickly and linked up with the fire at Noojee cut off a possible route of escape for settlers. Three Settlements Destroyed. It is reported that three small settlements were destroyed near Noojee, and at least 12 mills were burned down in the same district. The number of houses burned is expected to total 200. Most of the refugees are suffering from burns and from partial suffocation. Messages of sympathy have been sent to the affected areas by the Governor, the Earl of Stradbroke, and the Premier, Mr. J. Allan. A relief train with blankets and mattresses has bVen despatched to the burnt-out areas. Victims Trapped in the Flamea. At mid-day it was reported that it was still impossible to obtain ft detailed mortality list. At Erica an old man named Fisk was caught in the flames. He tried to climb into a boiler, but the fire overcame him. Mr. W. Collins was also burnt to death. Mr. E. Bull, president of the "Victorian branch of the Telegraph Union, while fighting the fire, collapsed and died. Mr. James Lang dropped dead from over-exertion, heart failure and heat. A fire which was burning on a 40-miles front along the Plenty Ranges broke into five sections and threatened Queenstown, St. Andrew's, Arthur's Creek, Greenville and Kinglake. Fire-fighters Being Forced Back. About Queenstown and Flowerdale the fire was still uncontrolled, Humedale was threatened. Queenstown was isolated. Between Kinglake and St. Andrew's hundreds of people were fighting to keep the fire down, but they were gradually being forced back. At Noojee about SO people took refuge in the Latrobe River and stayed there for nine hours until the danger had passed. Five high trestle railway bridges on the Warragul line have been destroyed.

The devastated areas in Victoria are situated within a semi-circle running from Warburton, 40 miles north-east of Melbourne, to Walhalla, 90 miles east of that city, and down to the Warragul district, which is about 60 miles south-east of the Victorian capital.