The Bush Fires.

Western Star, 30 January 1906, Page 2

The Bush Fires.

MELBOURNE, ’Jan. '26. I The saving of Clempson’s was largely due to the heroism ofjp Clavaring, an Italian, who, when M the house, which is contiguous to || a tank, took fire, repeatedly extin-j| guished the flames, although at J his own clothes The heat was so intense that the women became hysterical, and had-p to be forcibly restrained from rtm-|| ning straight into the flames. Thirty-two families are homeless. '?§ These are authenticated but there must be others, as it is difficult in the chaos that exists to get reliab- js 1c news. The body of a man named || Butler has been found. He had been M overcome while trying- to reach a|| relative’s house. The heroism of the schoolmaster |I (Mr Vales) at Toora saved 28 children. He collapsed again and a- ;l gain. He went through a veritable ! furnace to get water to pour on the blankets, which he had wrap*i|| pedround the children. Mr Vales, interviewed, said the children obey-;*! cd him, and lay flat on the ground : j Another man and he kept theblan-!; kets wet. He got water from the .;| burning school till it collapsed. m Tlien they went through the burn- fij ing scrub to the creek. The boys. i helped him, and, when the fire was J at its worst ran into large logs H and covered themselves with blankets, and, as the logs fire, they shifted to other logs. M The school children stayed with M him all night. Nine persons were £ burned at Toora. ~4 Yesterday Scales and party, la-% borers, while scrub cutting at Bv£m ganwarrie, were surrounded by fire ■ The horses were ridden fiercely, but were so injured by fire that M they had to be shot. The menfl found refuge in a water hole, | whichwas gradually filled with | burning branches. They, were in the >1 water four hours. One man, who S became temporarily insane, waafi prevented by force from committ-‘|| ing suicide. All ultimately, escaped, $ but were nearly blinded and scald- (I ded. ‘ v Ts SYDNEY, f Jan. 26. S Mrs Walsh, while returning from a visit to her mother, accpinpan- S ied by her two children, got off Hie track in the Warren district and "I wandered about in the dreadful S heat. Both her children ’perished ?|s from heat and thirst. The dement- j ed mother was rescued.