The Gippsland Horrors.

Southland Times, Issue 19725, 27 January 1906, Page 2

The Gippsland Horrors.

i 1 -1 * A PLUCKY ITALIAN’S DEED. HOMELESS SETTLERS. I MORE VICTIMS. Per United Frews Association. By ElecUic Tulograpu.— Copyright, ] MELBOURNE, Jan. 26. I The saving of Clemson’s family was largely due to the heroism of ! Glavaring, pn Italian, who, when the house, which’ is contiguous to a ! lank, took lire, repeatedly oxtini guished the flames, although at each effort his own clothes ignited. The ; heat was so intense that the.women i became hysterical, and had to bo ( forcibly restrained from running • straight into the flames. , The fire Is still burning In the i valley of Little Franklin. In one ini stance a whole family was saved j through taking refuge in a well, l Thirty-two families are homeless. , These are authenticated, but there j must be others, as it is difficult lu , the chaos that exists to get reliable I nows. The body of a man named Butler has been found. He had been a overcome while trying to reach a I relative's residence. , i Round Daylesford the farmers are t constructing fire-breaks, It is feared if the wind freshens the fire will , come westward. ', A man named La Franconi was so severely burned that he died at Kar- * goon. A eucalyptus distillery was - completely' destroyed at Mortlakc. 1 An army of 800 was engaged all ® day fighting ~ the fire. Along the 1 roads are heaps of dead stock.

THE HEROIC SCHOOLMASTER, IN DESPERATE PLIGHT. A MADDENING SITUATION. PITIFUL DEATH OF CHILDREN. The country from Hilleivd to Necrim was laid waste on Tuesday, and practically all the settlers are homeless. The heroism of the schoolmaster (Mr Vales) at Toora saved 28 children. He collapsed again and again. He went through a veritable furnace to got water to pour on the blankets, which ho had wrapped round the children. Mr Vales, interviewed, said 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. Then I hey went through blazing scrub to 11 Im creek. The boys helped him, and, when the fire was at Its worst, ran into large logs and covered themselves with wet blankets, and, as tiie logs caught lire, they shifted to oilier logs. The school children stayed with him all night. Nine | persons wore burned at Toora. j Yesterday Scales and party, labourers, while scrub cutting at Binganwarrie, were surrounded "jy lire. The horses were ridden fiercely, hut were so injured by lire that 1 lie,v had to be shot. The men found refuge in a water hole, which was gradually' filled with burning branches. They' were in the water four hours. One man. who became temporarily insane, was prevented by force from committing suicide. All ultimately escaped, but pvere nearly blinded and scalded

The Government is sending £IOOO to relieve the immediate necessities of sufferers in G-.ippsland. SYDNEY, Jan. 26.

Mrs Walsh, while returning from a visit to her mother, accompanied by her two children, got off the track in the Warren district, and wandered about in the dreadful heat. Both her children perished from hf at and thirst. The demented mother was rescued.