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186 Victims of Fire and Heat
DEATH ROLL IN TWO
STATES
MANY TOWNSHIPS WIPED OUT
The blackest days of fire and heat in Australia's
history have been responsible for the deaths of 186
persons in New South Wales and Victoria.
The discovery of the charred remains of 43
people in Victoria on Saturday brought the grim
total for the State to 78. Gripped in the terrible heat
wave in the eerie light caused by palls of smoke
from a thousand outbreaks, residents of both States
had to fight fires in almost every district.
Many settlements have been wiped out, whilst
the loss of property and stock is tremendous.
SYDNEY, Sunday.
Yesterday's record heat caused 15
deaths in the State. Five people col-
lapsed and died in country districts
and six experienced the same fate in
the city and suburbs. A man was
killed in a bush fire at Nowra and
two others were burnt to death near
Liverpool, whilst the body of a man
was found to-day at Castle Hill. He
had been trapped in a fire on Satur-
day.
These tragic happenings brought
the death roll of the Commonwealth
for the past week from the heat
wave and bush fires to 172.
Fifty suburban and week-end
homes were destroyed by fires, the
most extensive damage being in the
Port Hacking district.
Thirty-five homes were damaged at
Moss Vale and 34 at Castle Hill. At
one stage it looked as though Mitta-
gong would be destroyed, but the
town was saved through the efforts
of volunteers.
Fanned by the southerly wind a
fire broke out at Dapto and the
whole of the mountains in that area
were soon alight.
Western and southern districts
were isolated as a result of tele-
phone wires being brought down,
whilst 25 lines to Melbourne were
out of operation.
In a blaze which swept thousands
of acres of land at Nowra, J. Roach,
an old age pensioner, was burnt to
death. The remains of Percival Davis,
33, of Box Hill, and a boy, believed
to be "Snowy" Metcalf, of Moree,
were found at Box Hill. It is be-
lieved that they were asleep in a
shack when fire raced down upon
them.
At Nowra the damage was esti-
mated at £6,000.
Six men risked their lives in a
three hour battle to prevent fires
reaching a gelignite magazine at the
Warragambah Water Board camp. It
is believed that the settlement is
now safe.
Wallacia was endangered when a
fire leapt the Nepean River at sev-
eral points, but the flames were got
under control.
Thousands of pounds worth of dam-
age resulted at Maitland. The Pres-
byterian Church, public school and
several residences were destroyed at
Seaham, while at Nelligen two
churches and eight houses were de-
stroyed.
The death roll in New South Wales
has now reached 24. Six died from
heat conditions to-night, two being
from Newcastle and four from
Singleton.
A further two deaths from heat
were reported to-day from Orange.
Bathurst today was surrounded by
bush fires, which are being fought
by 1,000 volunteers.
At Trunkey the fire which covered
a 30 miles front swept through the
township despite the efforts of the fire
fighters to deflect its course. One man
was burnt to death.
After his dog wandered into the
bush, the badly burned body of
William Smith, aged 74, was found
in the path of the fire, which gutt-
ered the township.
Late last night, the body of George
Harold Wallace, aged, 42, was found
in a lane at the rear of the Rook-
wood cemetery. He had evidently
collapsed as a result of the heat.
In the Bathurst district, it was es-
timated that 100 stock had been des-
troyed.
Temperature in Sydney had fallen
to 44 degrees below yesterday's maxi-
mum of 113.6 degrees. This is a re-
cord.
The State Metorologist (Mr. Mares)
believes that rain is imminent.
TOWNSHIP WIPED OUT
The small township of Penrose
on the main railway line between
Goulburn and Sydney was wiped
out, 23 houses being destroyed by
fire.
The general store was com-
pletely gutted, and a petrol bow-
ser was ignited by the flames and
exploded.
All residents escaped from the
township without injury. The Post
Office was also burnt out and
communication with other centres
suspended.
Numerous outbreaks were reported
in the Goulburn district and round
Braidwood and Taralga. The Town
ship of Bannister reported the des-
truction of several buildings.
At Kenmore, near Goulburn, a cot-
tage was destroyed by fire.
FIRE SUBDUED NEAR
BRAIDWOOD
After two days fighting with the
flames, a band of about 120 fire-
fighters succeeded in checking a fire
on a 16 mile front which swept from
Bombay to Warral in the Braidwood
district.
The fire got out of control on Satur-
day morning with the rising heat and
wind, but reinforcements gave the
fighters a new strength to hurl back
the tide of flames.
The fire advancing on Braidwood
crossed the Shoalhaven River, but was
stopped five miles from the town.
Some remarkable saves of property
were effected, but there were heavy
losses of stock.
On the holding of Mr. Daniels, the
fire destroyed everything except ten
acres round the homestead and all the
stock are believed to have perished.
Fire fighters saw eight cattle des-
troyed in a heap.
At Nellingen, eight houses, three
churches and a wattle bark mill con-
taining £2,000 of bark were destroyed.
HOSPITAL SURROUNDED
Bush fires menaced the town of
Picton. Fences in the town were burnt
and only valiant efforts saved the
town from destruction.
Burning scrub and grass surround-
ed the Queen Victoria homes at Thirl-
mere, and over 50 women patients
were prostrated by the heat and
shock. They had to be hastily re-
moved.
COAST ABLAZE
The bush stretching north to Palm
Beach and Barrenjoey was alight in
hundreds of places.
About Mona Vale and Newport and
along big stretches of the Hawkes-
bury hills, the fire field raged.
The scrub around Bankstown and
outer suburbs in this neighbourhood
was burning fiercely. Guildford,
Chatswood, Croydon, Sefton Park,
Petersham and Earlwood all reported
fires.
BOWRAL THREATENED
At midday yesterday a fierce blaze
approached Bowral from the direc-
tio of Bendooley, near Berrima, and
as it raced into the Mittagong and
Bowral area it menaced many well-
known guest houses.
It is reported that many places be-
tween Cutaway Hill and Mittagong
have been destroyed.
SYDNEY CUT OFF
Sydney was isolated from all the
South Coast and western towns at a
late hour last night.
Several serious outbreaks occurr-
ed on the Blue Mountains, and at
Valley Heights, it is believed that
several people were seriously burnt.
At Windsor, Mrs. A. Newhan was
trapped in a cottage with her three
weeks' old baby. She was burnt on
a leg before being rescued and ad-
mitted to Windsor Hospital with her
baby, which was suffering from ex-
haustion.
VICTORIA'S DEATH ROLL
MELBOURNE, Sunday.
The death roll in Victoria as a
result of the heat and bush fires was
brought to 78 yesterday, after the
charred remains of 43 people were
discovered.
Victoria's death roll as a result of
fires and heat wave conditions was
added to to-day by the death of 14
people at Wood's Point timber mill in
the Gippsland district.
At Yallands, another mill four miles
away, rescue parties found six people
alive after a harrowing experience.
Abertheldie, north of Walhalla,
was wiped out. Residents fought the
flames until the last moment and
then fled to a mine tunnel, taking
with them three men who were badly
burnt. Two of these, R. Bolton and
C. Newtown, later died.
Special trains were run to fight
the fires in the Upper Murray.
Survivors had a terrible night at
Brown's Mill, 13 miles from Noogee
where the people saved themselves
by getting into a dam.
More than £50,000 has been sub-
scribed to the relief fund.
$