Windsor & Richmond Gazette, Saturday, March 3, 1900 Supplement from The Daily Telegraph, Thursday, March 1, 1900 Second edition, 2.30 a.m. BUSH FIRES IN GIPPSLAND. SCORES OF SETTLERS HOMELESS SOME SENSATIONAL INCIDENTS. DAMAGE OVER £100,000 Melbourne. Wednesday. - Bush fires are still raging through North Gippsland, and are spreading themselves in the ranges north of Maffra with amazing rapidity and great destructiveness. Last week a number of comfortable farms and homesteads spread over the landscape ; to-day it is a mass of smoking and charred ruins. Scores of settlers are homeless. Cultivation areas and grazing lands have been swept bare. Buildings, fences , stacks, and stock are things of the past. Over great and ever-increasing area, which is mildly reckoned to include hundreds of thousands of acres, the hillsides to-night afford a magnificent spectacle. It would be a grander one almost than a battle, were it a little less devastating; but it looks like a blaze of torches winding in and out like a marching army, with flaring banners, and every tree-top looks like a mammoth electric light, only a hundredfold stronger. Beating was of little use when the fires, fanned by the strong wind, reached the log fences and dried trees. To-night the desolation of despair has conquered the fire-fighters of yesterday. As stated last night, the Glenmaggie fire is known to have been responsible for three lives. Michael Curtain and his wife perished together while loading an old waggonette with their furniture. The horse was terror-stricken; neither whip nor kindness could move it. As a last resource the two old people themselves got between the shafts and started to haul the vehicle to the water. They had reached the edge of the creek when the old man, choking and suffocated, fell to the ground. His faithful wife, with an agonizing cry, fell upon him, dazed and stupefied. The flames passed over them and left them a heap of charred and unrecognizable remains. Little Sammy Trew's fate was equally pathetic. The Dawes family were escaping with wet blankets round their heads. "There are not enough for us all," said Sammy handing his over to his sister, "I will go back and get another." He rushed into the door of the flaming building, the roof feel [sic] in with a crash, and he was se! en no more. When his parents and brothers and sisters came out of the water tank in which they lay whilst the fire swept over and around them they collected all that remained of this devoted lad in an iron bucket. So suddenly did the fires spring up and rush forward and so black and dense was the smoke that people could hardly distinguish each other a few yards away. Horses and sheep and cattle were in a death trap. They stood wildly at bay and were roasted. The people made for the nearest creek or waterhole, and, then, up to their necks, , kept immersing their heads as the flying, flaming gum leaves singed their hair and rendered that operation absolutely essential. A Mr. Curtain came down from Glenmaggie with a two-horse team. He lashed them along a bush track at a fearful rate. It was a mad race with the flames, but the flames prevailed; therefore, when his buggy caught fire he promptly jumped out and flew for his life for the nearest creek. The horses, when found afterwards, were raw, and their legs had been burnt off. Numerous incidents of narrow escapes could be given. Cows are wandering about in agony with their tails burnt off; horses wandering aimlessly about withou! t lips, ears or tails. Miss Coleman, the State school teacher, of Upper Wadelock, saved her school. She got her younger pupils to a place of safety, and with the elder boys successfully burned a strip round the school. Just below the school was a splendid homestead, but it was swept away with remorseless speed. Mr. and Mrs. Missen stood in a creek for four hours, and Mrs. Missen is now seriously ill. Culverts and bridges have been swept away, and the damage must come well into six figures. Already relief meetings are being called, and the Government is likely to do something. Late to-night the fires were still burning, but they cannot do much further damage. From other parts of the colony come accounts of narrow escapes and of great losses in grass and fencing. Grave fears are entertained for the safety of the Hospital Creek. It is reported, but not confirmed, that the fires have swept the settlement out of existence. The worst of the fires is now said to be over.

Thanks for sharing this report Maureen. It would have to be the most horrific report I have ever read. It reminded me a bit of this site that I had bookmarked ; http://home.iprimus.com.au/yarragon/ About 10 years ago there were fires on the mountains surrounding the village where we lived......it was so hot that the very air felt like it was going to explode.......and windy as.....!! We knew we were safe, there being very few trees in and around the village and lots of low grassy paddocks between us and the fires .....but still it was one of the worst / fearful days I have spent. Multiplying that fear out 1000 times would be somewhere near the horror those poor beggars experienced in this report. Cheers Lynne Visit our Website http://lynneandgrayeme.kinpendium.com/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Maureen" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 4:36 PM Subject: Snippets from 1900 - From Daily Telegraph Supplement - Gippsland Bush Fires > > > Windsor & Richmond Gazette, Saturday, March > 3, 1900 > > Supplement from The Daily Telegraph, Thursday, > March 1, 1900 > > Second edition, 2.30 > a.m. > > BUSH FIRES IN GIPPSLAND. > > SCORES OF SETTLERS HOMELESS > > SOME SENSATIONAL INCIDENTS. > > DAMAGE OVER £100,000 > > Melbourne. Wednesday. - Bush fires are still raging through North > Gippsland, and are spreading themselves in the ranges north of Maffra > with amazing rapidity and great destructiveness. Last week a number of > comfortable farms and homesteads spread over the landscape ; to-day it is > a mass of smoking and charred ruins. Scores of settlers are homeless. > Cultivation areas and grazing lands have been swept bare. Buildings, > fences , stacks, and stock are things of the past. > > Over great and ever-increasing area, which is mildly reckoned to include > hundreds of thousands of acres, the hillsides to-night afford a > magnificent spectacle. It would be a grander one almost than a battle, > were it a little less devastating; but it looks like a blaze of torches > winding in and out like a marching army, with flaring banners, and every > tree-top looks like a mammoth electric light, only a hundredfold stronger. > Beating was of little use when the fires, fanned by the strong wind, > reached the log fences and dried trees. To-night the desolation of > despair has conquered the fire-fighters of yesterday. > > As stated last night, the Glenmaggie fire is known to have been > responsible for three lives. Michael Curtain and his wife perished > together while loading an old waggonette with their furniture. The horse > was terror-stricken; neither whip nor kindness could move it. As a last > resource the two old people themselves got between the shafts and started > to haul the vehicle to the water. They had reached the edge of the creek > when the old man, choking and suffocated, fell to the ground. His > faithful wife, with an agonizing cry, fell upon him, dazed and stupefied. > The flames passed over them and left them a heap of charred and > unrecognizable remains. Little Sammy Trew's fate was equally pathetic. > The Dawes family were escaping with wet blankets round their heads. > "There are not enough for us all," said Sammy handing his over to his > sister, "I will go back and get another." He rushed into the door of > the flaming building, the roof feel [sic] in with a crash, and he was se! > en no more. When his parents and brothers and sisters came out of the > water tank in which they lay whilst the fire swept over and around them > they collected all that remained of this devoted lad in an iron bucket. > > So suddenly did the fires spring up and rush forward and so black and > dense was the smoke that people could hardly distinguish each other a few > yards away. Horses and sheep and cattle were in a death trap. They stood > wildly at bay and were roasted. The people made for the nearest creek or > waterhole, and, then, up to their necks, , kept immersing their heads as > the flying, flaming gum leaves singed their hair and rendered that > operation absolutely essential. A Mr. Curtain came down from Glenmaggie > with a two-horse team. He lashed them along a bush track at a fearful > rate. It was a mad race with the flames, but the flames prevailed; > therefore, when his buggy caught fire he promptly jumped out and flew for > his life for the nearest creek. The horses, when found afterwards, were > raw, and their legs had been burnt off. Numerous incidents of narrow > escapes could be given. Cows are wandering about in agony with their > tails burnt off; horses wandering aimlessly about withou! > t lips, ears or tails. > > Miss Coleman, the State school teacher, of Upper Wadelock, saved her > school. She got her younger pupils to a place of safety, and with the > elder boys successfully burned a strip round the school. Just below the > school was a splendid homestead, but it was swept away with remorseless > speed. Mr. and Mrs. Missen stood in a creek for four hours, and Mrs. > Missen is now seriously ill. Culverts and bridges have been swept away, > and the damage must come well into six figures. Already relief meetings > are being called, and the Government is likely to do something. > > Late to-night the fires were still burning, but they cannot do much > further damage. From other parts of the colony come accounts of narrow > escapes and of great losses in grass and fencing. Grave fears are > entertained for the safety of the Hospital Creek. It is reported, but not > confirmed, that the fires have swept the settlement out of existence. The > worst of the fires is now said to be over. >