THE DISASTROUS BUSH FIRE

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 9 February 1901, Page 3

THE DISASTROUS BUSH FIRE

Ten Thousand Sheep Roasted.

Town Burned and Pasture Ruined.

| PEE PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH —COPYRIGHT.]

Melbourne, This Day,

Bush fires are raging in many parts of the colony. Hundreds of square miles are devastated.

In Eiverina many settlers are burned out, and crops of stored wheat, machinery, and other property were dcstoyed.

A farmer named Smith was out after stock and is missing. Details of the bush fires coming to hand show that the devastation is terrible. The smaU townships are almost devastated and hundreds of settlers are homeless.

Thousands of sheep and cattle are burned to death.

Five persons are known to have perished. These include two boys named M’Cullum, a boy named M’Donald, and a man named Kingswoll. Ycovalo homestead, the wool sheds, machinery, and the Deep-Done property wore destroyed. 30 Miles of Lining Flames. Received this day at 9 23 a. m. Melbourne, This Day.

In the Hamilton district, Eital Simpson’s (well known breeder of Shropshire sheep) estate was devastated, including wool shed and township of Bigaduk, Only 3,000 sheep out of 15,000 remain. It is estimated that fully 10,000 sheep were roasted in the district, one station losing 2,000 and another 3,000.

In the Carteron district the fire covered an area of 30 miles and is still burning fiercely. In Bcrringa district much damage was done to mining properties. MTntosh whoso death was previously reported was overcome fighting the lire. His homestead was destroyed. Many Lives Lost and Injured. Melbourne, This Day. All telegraph communication in many districts has been interrupted by bush fires. A storm accompanying the fires reached a velocity of fifty miles an hour. The fires were especially destructive in Birregurra and Coke district. They were started by a spark from a train. The gale behind swept everything befor it, house after house being swallowed up. It was here that the boys M'Kallum and M’Donald lost their lives. _ They got separated from their parents in the confusion. Their charred remains were afterwards found.

Kings well died from the result of burns received while fighting tho flames. Five other fighters severely wounded were removed to the hospital. Two of them are in a critical condition. Another man named O’Brien in escaping was thrown from his horse and had his leg broken.

The manager of tho local hank and others saved their families by placing them in tanks.

Anthony’s Bushy Park Estate lost all its grass, fencing, and eight hundred sheep and cattle. In the Campcrdown district, many farms and stations were devastated.

The Yulma state forest was swept and is practically destroyed. In the north-eastern district the fires are the worst that ever were known. A Blackened Wilderness. Received this day at 10 11 a.m. Melbouene, This Day. At Hamilton an old man named Anderson was trying to rescue his horse

from burning, when the stable fell on him and he perished in the flames. The whole district is a blackened wilderness. A man named Northfleld succumbed to injuries received in the hush fires at Geelong.

Received this day at 10 28 a.m. Adelaide, This Day.

The damage by the fires in the Mount Pleasant District is estimated at many thousand pounds. Hundreds of sheep, including stud rams, perished ; also much damage has been done in the Naracoortc District.