The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 1

Tuesday, December 28, 1971 250 Spencer Melbourne 600421 (Classified 60 061 1 118thyeor i 8 Pages 6c 3 boys escape death on rail bridge iiiiareds MOONEE VALLEY RACES Lift-out guide inside From MARK LAWRENCE SHIPYARDS Ship building may get Government aid to raise capacity so that Australia can, cash in on long waiting lists at overseas yards. PAGE 2 SENTENCES The Medical Journal of Australia says in a leading article that the practice of indeterminate sentences for dangerous offenders ii unsatisfactory. PAGE 3 lomele KILCUNDA. Three children yesterday disobeyed their parents' instructions and the disobedience almost cost them their lives. The children, Peter Gray, nine, of Bruce Street, Dandenong, his brother Geoffrey, 10, and Brendon Veneille, nine, of Vizard Street, Dandenong, were trapped by an approaching diesel train on a bridge at Kilcunda, 60 miles south-east of Melbourne.

One of the children, Peter, fell 26 feet from the bridge after clinging to a sleeper with one hand. He broke his left leg and arm. Last night he was under seda- tion at Wonthaggi District Hos- suck us under If we didn't get out of the way," Geoffrey said. "I think that's why Peter let go. He was scared of being sucked under.

"The train rumbled past us only one second after we reached the safety- bay," Geoffrey said. Last night a very distressed Mrs. Glynn Gray said she hoped the near tragedy would be a lesson to all the children holidaying in the area. "I don't want Peter to, appear a hero. "He and his brother had been told to stay right away from that bridge it is extremely dangerous.

"Well, Peter paid for his disobedience and it could have been a lot worse." pltal, but his condition was satisfactory. Peter's brother Geoffrey described what happened. "We were crossing the bridge to see if there was anyone Ashing in the creek," he said. (The railway bridge crosses Bourne Creek.) "All of a sudden we heard a whistle and saw the diesel coming around the bend about 80 yards away. I was scared to death.

"Brendon and I started running towards the safety bay, but Peter was behind us because he had been picking up stones. "As he ran he fell over, but managed to grab hold of one of the sleepers." Geoffrey said that as the train drew level with Peter, he had let go the sleeper and crashed ito the ground. "We had spoken about what we would do if a train came along, and one of us had said it would in Mood THEATRE CUTS The Children's Arena Theatre, which performs before Victorian schools, has had to cut its 1972 country programme through lack of funds. PAGE 2 MORE STUDY First-year Intakes of Victoria's universities and colleges of advanced education will rise by about 20 per cent, this PAGE 3 Hundreds' of Queenslanders have been left homeless by storm floods caused by cyclone Althea. Towns in the storm path were drenched with up to 10 inches of rain in 12 hours.

The storm cut roads, rail links and closed two airfields. PARKLAND Two shire councils have called on the State Government to set aside 3300 acres of the Strzelecki Ranges in Gippsland as national park. PAGE 7. FENCE ROW A Canberra mart who built a fence in his. front garden was told by one Government department to go ahead.

Now another department has told him to pull it down. PAGE 2 MISS NERO Miss Nero's win at Caulfield yesterday was queried by stewards after her two previous poor runs. PAGE IT DROWNINGS Two young men drowned in Victorian waters during the holiday period. PAGE 3 jj' k-iL -5 The 30-strong population of Ada-vale, 117 miles north-west of Charle-ville, was evacuated by speedboat to a hill three miles from the town. The Adavale postmistress, Mrs.

P. R. Donohue, said food and water had been taken to the hill in preparation for a night in the open. A plane will fly over the hill tomorrow to check on. the condition of the 30 evacuees.

The storm the tail of cyclone Althea yesterday moved 450 miles across the Queensland out- -back, flooding towns, homes and farms. Brisbane and nearby coastal towns braced themselves as the huge rain storm covering a 100-mile front moved towards them. Seven inches of rain fell in 12 hours at Charleville and Roma, and at Augathella 10 inches fell as the peak of the storm passed. The chief of' Charleville police (Acting Inspector P. Croddy) said last night that police evacuated 30 homes yesterday.

He said the main street Mill's Street was five feet under water in parts. VETERAN Victorian aircraft enthusiasts brought a 33-year-old DC-3 out of retirement for a charter flight yesterday. PAGE 3 ODD SPOT Sydney Hobart yacht race organisers were puzzled when they plotted the position of the sloop "Onya of Gosford" yesterday. Radio messages from the boat placed it on the Hume Highway near Albury. Later the skipper signalled that he had miscalculated because of cloud cover.

PILOTS HIT The Department of Civil Aviation yesterday criticised light aircraft pilots who took risks in bad weather. PAGE 3 Mr. McMahon in Townsville yesterday Classified index 11 pages Features editorials, letters world news motoring, trucks omusements Accent 8-9; Business Age, weather, ships 10; comics, TV, crossword sports 13-18; Moonea Volley guide 15-16. Weather CITY: Early drizzle. Fine mild day.

Sunny breaks. Top temp, mid- 70s. Details 10 PMrwell help to the full Above: Geoffrey Gray (standing) and Brendon Veneille shoy the safety bay they just reached when the train caught up with them. Below: The bridge from which Peter Cray fell as the train rumbled over it. 13 killed as 'in W-cs holiday The town was completely marooned and was not expected to be accessible by road until this morning, i "Dirt and debris Is all over the place.

A wall of water made the place a complete mess," Acting Inspector Croddy said. Police, DCA officials and volunteers throughout yesterday helped families with a massive mopping-up programme. About 40 people last night were sheltered in the Church of England hall in the town, while scores of others were living with relatives on higher ground. The Mitchell and Warrego Highways near the town had been cut in several places as the flood waters broke the banks of the Warrego River. Acting Inspector Croddy estimated that hundreds of houses in surrounding areas were extensively flooded and damage to property would run into tens of thousands of dollars.

"It's the worst flood we have ever had," he said. Roma police reported that seven Inches of rain had fallen and at the height of the storm "you could hardly hear yourself Both towns have had no reports of death or injury. As the' storm moved coastwards, it missed several big towns. Road, rail and some air traffic to the western parts of Queensland have been dislocated by the floods. The Royal Automotive Club reported that most highways were cut in western areas.

A Civil Aviation Department spokesman said 5 the Theodore and Chinchilla airfields were closed. He said he expected more centres to be closed today. toll ounts BORDER PROTEST BY CHINA HONG KONG, Dec. 27. The Chinese Foreign Ministry today accused Indian troops and aircraft of intruding into Chinese territory.

Peking Radio reported that a protest note had been lodged with the Indian Government saying that on December 15 eight Indian soldiers crossed China's border with Sikkim to carry out reconnaissance. The intrusion lasted several hours, the radio said. On the same day one Indian aircraft flew into Tibet, also for reconnaissance purposes, it said. "The above acts of Intrusion seriously encroached upon Chinese territory and airspace," the radio said. AAP-Reuter.

TOWNSVILLE. The Prime Minister yesterday pledged the Commonwealth Government to unlimited aid for cyclone victims in Townsville. This assurance was given by Mr. McMahon after he had visited the devastated areas of the city and nearby Magnetic Island. At a press conference he said he felt completely miserable and unhappy after viewing the destruction.

"However, the feeling of optimism for the future by these homeless people was something which gae me much pleasure," he Said. Mr. McMahon was -taken by helicopter from Townsville to Magnetic Island minutes after his plane touched down at Garbutfr air base. Thirteen people have been killed on Victorian roads so far during the Christmas holiday period. This' is the same number as killed in i the same period last year.

To date 920 people have day road toll stood at 16 been killed on Victorian seven fewer than at the roads this year, compared same sta8e last year, with 1075 in the corres- In Queensland six nondinp nerinrf lasr vpnr PCP'e had been killed, the ScKf'f lowest fi8ure at this stage The NSW Christmas holi- 0f the holiday period for You could double your fleet efficiency and halve your worries at Southern Motors Problems of fleet operation don't have to multiply with vehicle numbers. In fact they can become fewer when a fleet specialist organisation handles things. Southern Motors Fleet Division does nothing else but fleet business. They can draw on a 700-car stock that includes every type of Holden and option. New fleet additions are on the road in a few hours.

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Have a word with him on .30 4873. After VETERANS TAKE new air -i- Huge strike LIBERTIES WITH Viet Mr. McMahon said it was now up to the State and Commonwealth to assist local authorities in reconstructing the Townsville area as quickly as possible. The Commonwealth had already agreed to support State relief on a dollar-for-dollar basis, he said, Mr. McMahon said he had been told damage in four limited sections alone had been about $6 million.

Total damage would be much more. "When I saw it first, I felt completely miserable and unhappy," he said. "But what does give you an en: ormous sense of pleasure at knowing you're an Australian is that they're not grumbling, just, getting on with it." Townsville clean-up 3. A LADY hours, 58 3662. F.S.

Tuckfield talks about V-xyv I think SAIGON, December 27. Waves of American planes today carried out massive new bombing raids on military installations and supply depots in North Vietnam in one of the biggest air operations of the Indo-China war. will prove your fleet troubles will shrink when yoa place the business through the Company with a reputation for integrity. The raids end a three- aimed against anti-aircraft year- halt in the large- guns missile sites, and sup-scale bombing of North p'y depots near the Laotian Vietnam. Vietnam.

10 years. In South Australia two people had died (compared with 10 at this time last year). i Tasmania had only one fatality and Western Australia In Victoria yesterday, Olga Hameneh, 65, of Roth-erwood Street, Richmond, was killed in a head-on collision on Ballarat Road, Creswick. Cheryl Clayton, 17, of McPherson Street, Caster-ton, was killed in a two-car collision on the Hamilton Road, Digby, in south-western Victoria, yesterday. A 17-year-old married woman was killed in an accident on the Geelong Road, near Corio, last night.

Her name was not available early today. The deputy chief of the Victoria Police traffic branch (Superintendent B. Brown) said the 70 mph speed limit and compulsory wearing of seat bells had been major factors in the reduced toll. "The undoubted effort by motorists to concentrate on their driving during the dangerous holiday period has also helped to keep the deaths down. "We are pleased with the way motorists have conducted themselves over the Christmas period," he said.

The president of the South Australian Road Safety Council (Mr. B. H. Boykett) said the low toll was a result of combined factors including daylight saving and compulsory wearing of scat belts, The North Vietnamese always have a huge build-up of supplies at the mouth of Eric Pearce the Ho Chi Minn Trail at this time of the year, readv offttea Time was when you could take life as it came slowly. Today's rush means more effort, less compensallon.

Turn to tea a strong hot cup of tea has the reward of revival alter a Job well done. NEW YORK, December 27. Sixteen Vietnam war veterans took control of the Statue of Liberty today after hiding in an arm of the statue overnight. Officials made no move to winkle them out. The veterans entered the statue last night and hid in an arm which had been closed to the public for several years.

A spokesman for their organisation, the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, said they then emerged to usher out a nlghtwatchman and seizo, the entire statue. Mr. At Hubbard, executive secretary of the organisation, said at his Manhattan headquarters that he was in- constant contact with the group Inside. A spokesman for the New York police said a patrol boat had been sent to Liberty Island but added that the Island was under the jurisdiction- of Federal authorities, vlnces south of the North Vietnamese capital, and hit a hospital. The raids were seen as an attempt to blunt North Vietnam's military potential in South Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as hammering air defences which have increasingly threatened American aircraft bombing the Ho Chi Minh Trail and flying reconnaissance missions this month.

Last week, apparently in retaliation for the downing of five Phantoms, American jets flew "protective reaction" strikes almost daily against North Vietnam often hitting air defences without waiting to be fired at first. They hit back hard yesterday because their air supremacy was being seriously challenged by the North Vietnamese for the first time in the Indo-China war, AAP. The American command Confirmed the raids, but for security reasons refused to give details until they had finished. In a terse communique It said air force and navy planes were conducting "limited-duration protective reaction strikes" against North Vietnam. They were made, It said, in response to "enemy activity" which imperilled the lives of U.S.

troops in South Vietnam. I The U.S. command refused to reveal the extent of the raids or the targets hit, but military sources said American planes flew 250 sorties against the North yesterday, and the strikes were still going on. They said the raids were American yachts lead the way Three American' yachts Kialon II, American Eagle and Ondine II led the Sydney-Hobart yacht race fleet last night. Fourth was the West Australian yacht, Siska and fifth was the Sydney sloop Ragamuffin.

i On corrected time, Pimpernel was the leader, from Blnda. Stormy Petrel and Tina of Melbourne. Full details Page 18. TUCKFIELDS TY-NEE TIPS TEA SMA ESTABLISHED 42 YEARS outhem The split second reviver to feed into South Vietnam for dry-season offensives. The raids were understood to have been ordered personally by President Nixon after the shooting down last weekend of five Phantom jets by North Vietnamese anti-aircraft fire and MiG-21 interceptors.

It was the worst American aircraft loss, in Indo-China for several years. Radio Hanoi, reporting the massive raids, claimed five F-4 Phantom jets were shot down yesterday and the crews either killed or captured. It said American planes had attacked three pro. Available In 1 lb, A lb and lb packs. AUTHORISE! HOLDEN CITY, 19 FLEMINGTON NTH.

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