Exciting Time on the Melbourne Express.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7703, 4 January 1905, Page 2

Exciting Time on the Melbourne Express.

SYMPATHETIC MESSAGE FROM MR. SEDDON. Latest Reports More Hopeful. (Received Jan. 3, 10.58 <a.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 3. A funfl for the relief of sufferei* by the bush fires has been started in Sydney, land the lord Mayor donatio*! 100 guineas. The smoke along the coast from t,he flies is considerably Interfering with shipping. Kia showery in the cltyi with more rain threatening. The astronomer predicts that rain will bo general during the next few days. So far it is chiefly confined to. the southern half of the State, and is (light in mqst places. Heavy ruin from thunderstorms is checking the fires somewhat, though in many districts, especially in the north, they are still raging. The weather in the interior is still very hot, and numerous deaths from heat apoplexy are reported. Farmer* at Corowa arte very serious losers. Many lost their standing crops of wheat, besides gross, fencing, and much S'tock and implements< On one station five hundred heop were lost; the brothers KnighE each' lost 1500 .bags of wheat, Prixon 600, Goodwin 120. At Tmnut the devastation is unprecedented. Many homesteads and shedg, hay, corn,..stacks, much wool hundreds of acres and much bagged wheat, nnd thousands of acres of grass were destroyed. Thousands •r sheep, cattle and poultry were roasted to death. The country is a bmckened rain as far as the eye reaches. Communication with the unrounding districts is cut oty, ond men are lying about exhausted after fighting the fires for two days and nights. (Received Jan. 3, 11.17 p.m ) SYDNEY. Jan). 3. Uurrpwa reports Uiat the fire is sixty miles in length, by ten broad. «nd is still spreading. The results I are appalling, and include the loss •f over ten thousand sheep, and hundreds of cattle and horses, sUnd„nJ:.■^?,PS• , hay stack9 ' b,lras . "».ch agricultural machinery, and vehicles hf rL. «' aS °" ly savcd nttcr ! ]„ W om , r of the whole- population. The heat to-day i 8 in . itense ,110* i tho shade. Mnitland reports 02000 damage ,to local estates, Other la.™ £ tates ar o swept of gross and (enc(.umbed tp the intense heat. Hlayney, Dathurst nnd surroundimr swe'of VT r \ l^ *™fZ swept, nnd also oxtensve damage citing time on the outward journev ■She ran fifty m ii es through a fie raging furiously o] , both «^ a the !,ne near Mittngong. an a on he «Z * s ""0 cat «l by the heat. closed to keep out the »nioke. (Received Jan. 4, ]2 4Q „ m > xr c SYDNEY, .)nn :i Mr Seddon lias cabled Mr Carruthers that, the warmest sympath, "of •-is bj the disastrous bush fires (Received Jan. 4, 1.2 a ,„ ) The . i , . SYDNE V. Jan.-!. Tie telegraphic service is still seriously disorganised, but the lniost reports from southern u nd mountain nisti icts are more hopeful. The win w "Prying and cheeking the fir" button Forest and other threatened townships are now safe. uuenca