THE HEAT WAVE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1658, 26 January 1906, Page 2

THE HEAT WAVE.

TERRIBLE FIRES. MANY LIVES LOST. ANIMALS DROP DEAD. Qg telegraph, Press A*s’n, Copyright Melbourne, Jan. 25. A Ore startod atToora, in Gippsland, on Tuesday night, to the west of the township, It swept round Hoddle range and devos’atecl a etretoh of timbered country. It destroyed many homesteads and burned the now Methodist Church and State sobool.

The flames sweeping up the road, overtook six children named Lonsdale, their ages raging from threo to thirteon years, and suffocated them before their mothcr'e eyes. The children wore on the road from soboo’. They became bewildered by the blazing country and smoko, and rushing towards ths fire fell. The mother managed to Bavo her baby, while the oldest daughter, aged seventeen, was saved through getting into a creek. During the fire great courage and resource was shown by the State school j teacher, who placed eighteen children under wet blankets and saved them all. Standing amid suffocating smoke and flames, he kept throwing water over his charges. The bridge over the Agnes river oaught fire and is Btill burniog. The flames lept through the c image windows of the midday train to Melbourne. Two more bodies have been found —two married meD, Swan and Chrisp. Several families are missiDg. Hundreds of peoplo are homeless beI tween Foster and Welshpool. OwiDg to the do.-truction of the teleI graph lines it is difficult to get particulars.

The fire swept the country with appalling rapidity, annihilating farmhouses, outbuildings, stock, and crops, and cutting off in many oasos the avenueß of escape of sett’ers. At Woorara West the corpse of an invalid named Williams was found lying in the centre of the road. Two settlers were attempting to carry the man to a place of safety when the fire came roariDg down jon them. They struggled on, their difficulties added to by the struggles of the sick man. They made a desperate fight to eave bis ljfe, but the time came when they had to abandon him and fight for their own lives. They managed lo reach safety. No liviDg thing could stand the heat unprotected. Animals dropped dead and withered before the fiery blast. Twenty men, womea, and children crowded into a four-roomed house at Berry were all more or less scorched. I The heat death roll at present is 14.

MOST TERRIBLE FIRE EXPERIENCED.

AN AVALANCHE OF FLAME SWEEPS OVER COUNTRY.

FORESTS LICKED UP LIKE MAGIC.

By telegraph, Press Ass’n, Copyright Received 1.16 a.m., Jan. 26. Melbourne, Jan. 25.

Old residents of South Gippsland, who had many experiences of bush fires describe the present outbreak as the most terrible ever witnessed. While not as widespread or as great as the fire of 1898, or as destructive of property, it transcends all others in tbe appalling loss of life and the awful swiftness with which it swept over the country. It rushed over farm 3 and clearings in an avalanche of fire, fivines shooting up 150 feet.

It licked up forests of giant trees and dense scrup like magic. It was only a providential change of wind that Baved ths township.

Mr Clemeon, President of tbe Shire Council, had a thrilling experience, and it is typical of many others. He was working some distance from his house when he saw the wall of fire bearing down on him. He rushed home, but the flames had hold of the homestead almost before the inmates could get out. Eight took refuge in a ga'vanieed tank. With the aid of wet blankets they managed to survive the fierce ordeal, although stock was dropping dead with the intense heat.