FATAL BUSH FIRES ON YORKE'S PENINSULA.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 622, 13 January 1870, Page 4

FATAL BUSH FIRES ON YORKE'S PENINSULA.

: ♦ (SOUTH AUSTRALIAN RBGISTBR.) ; Mr W. Munyard, owner of the oysterboat Young Galatea, which' arrived at the Port on Wednesday, the 22nd ult. has .ghenusan account of a disastrous fire winch oc3urrol on Yorke's Peninsula •on Monday last. His vessel was at anchor during the day at Surveyor's Point, and in the course of the morning the tire, which, is said; to -hay cdtumenced at . Yorke Valley — a distance of 37 miles from ; Surveyor's Pomt — had extended to that iplaci*} and the fierce noith. wind which i prevailed rendered it necessary to keep the deck of his vessel" constantly wet to : prevent its taking fire :. from the : burning , pieces falling around. Towards evening ! one of the family of Mr Whitcraft, residing at the Point, hailed him to come : ashore to render Eome assistance to a ■ shepherd'shntonMrGoldsworthy'sstatiofl j about three miles distant! a report haying ' i been received that a shepherd named Augustus Graigie and his son had been burnt in tbe bush. They accordingly ; started in a spring cart for the spot, and found the' shepherd's wife and children at the hut. They -learned that the unfortunate man was theu lying some distance away. After a search he was found about : 150 yards from the hut, frightfully bnrut but sensible, and was at once lifted into ■ the cart. In the meantime, his wife had discovered the body of her. son, aged i about 11 years, who had also * faJlun a Victim to the element, together with about 1750 sheep. The shepherd stated that he was suffocated by the smoke before being overtaken by the fire, and ftll dowiflielpl'ss. He, with the body of his son, was ru uoved as speedily as possible to the retiuence of Mr Whitcraft, where

every attention was shown him, bub he died about two hours after. Great cvodit is duo to Mr Whitcraft and his wife, as well as to others who rendered assistance. The next day a messenger was sent with information to the nearest J.P., Mr Lander, but had not returned when our informant left. Mr William Chace, of Surveyor's Point, also si ndsus an account of the terrible even* , He states that on the 20th the strongest gale blew that he has known, with the exception perhaps of one on December 31, 1862. That of Monday tore up the trees by the roots, laid his wheat, unroofed his shed, and paitly uncovered a kitchen and verandah. Two cutters were in the bay, one of winch was driven high and dry by a waye, and the other dragged her anchors till she nearly touched the shore ; but those were trifling' matters compared with what was afterwards learnt. A shepherd and a female were coming from Salt Greek, when the woman fainted, and had to be left alone while her companion started for Mr Chace's place to get water. On returning, she was gone, but her tracks being found were followed up, and ahe is now safe. About 1 o'clock a man living with him came iv hurriedly and reported a large fire close at hand, and urged that unless the horses were got out, and a clear space ploughed round the paddocks, they would be burnt out. On going out to look it was found to be almost impossible to stand and impossible to walk. Just then the shed was blown down, nearly killing the writer's wife and eldest boy. The storm ceased for a little, and with great difficulty two or three furrows were made on one side of the Jand. His mate and himself then worked for an hour or so in beating out the fire, when the former left to get a drink, and shortly after loud cries were heard from a cart. On running to it, Chace learnt that Mr Goldsworth's shepherd and his boy had been burnt ; and after starting in the cart, they met the poor fellow's wife and three children close to the hut. All scoured the place in search of the man and boy in growing darkness, walking among the bodies of about 1800 dead sheep, when suddenly our informant stumbled upon the dead body of the poor lad completely roasted. A little further on the father was discovered, quite naked, his clothes having been burnt off, with the exception of his boots. The shepherd was not dead, so his body was plentifully bathed with kerosexie ; but the injuries were too awful for the remedy to be of service. He was driven to a place of shelter, and died in about an hour. Nothing, it is believed, could .have saved the lives of the wife and her five children had the fire continued its course, but providentially the wind turned to the south about 5 o'clock. They are now at Mr Chace's house in a sad plight, having lost everything they possessed by the fire The writer intends, he informs us, endeavoring to raise funds by subscription for them on the Peninsula, and suggests that others might also help, so that the family could join friends they have in America. It appears that during the height of the fire Mr Goldsworth and his son had to jump off the cliff — a height of 38 to 20 feet — into the sea to save their lives. They remained up to their necks in the water for a long time, nearly choked with the smoke and heat. Their horse and cart went over the cliff; but the animal's life was saved, although the cart had been nearly consumed.