Australian Bush Fires.

Western Star, 26 January 1906, Page 3

Australian Bush Fires.

Melbourne, Jan 24. It is the hottest day in the city since J. 862, the thermomtter registeriug 110| in the shade. The heat wave over the State has been accompanied by disastrous trash fires in every direction. The town of Daylesford narrowly escaped being swept away. The whole country is doomed unlsss the wind changes. Jan 25. A fire started at Soora in Gippsland on Tuesday night to the west of the township. -It swept round the Hoddle range, devastated a stretch of timbered country, destroyed many homesteads, -and burned the new Methodist church and the Stpte school. The flames, sweeping up the road, overtook six children named Lonsdale of ages ranging from three to thirteen pears, and suffocated them before their mother's eyes. During the fire great courage • ind resource were shown by the State school teacher, who placed 18 children under wet blankets, and saved them all.'! Standing amid suffocating smoke and flames, he kept throwing water over his charges.

Hundreds are homeloss between Poster and Welshpool. Owing to the destruction of the.telegraph lineslt is difficult to get particulars. The fire swept tlie country with appalling rapidity, annihilating farm-houses, outbuildings, stock and crops, and cutting off- jn many cases avenues of escape for settlers.

No living thiug could stand, the heat. Unprotected animals dropped dead and withered before the fiery blast. Twenty men, women ana children crowded into a four-roomed house at Berry. All were more or less scorched by the heat. The death roll at present is fourteen. Uan. 25.

Old residents of South Gippsland who have had many experiences of bush fires describe the present outbreak as the most terrible they ever witnessed. While not as widespread as the great fire of 1898, or as destructive of property, it transcends all others in the appalling loss of life and the • awful swiftness with which the flames swept over the country. It rushed over farms and clearings in an avalanche of fire, the flames shooting 150 feet into the air. It licked up forests of giant trees and dense scrub like magic and it was.only! a providential change of wind that saved the township. ■ Mr Clemson, President of the Shire Council,, had a thrilling experience and it is typical of many others. He was working some distance from his house when he saw a wall of .fire bearing down on him He rushed home but the flames had hold ot the homestead almost before the inmates could get out. Eight took refuge in a galvanised iron tank and, with the aid ofblan kets, managed to survive the fiery ordeal although the stock dropped dead with the intense heat.