TASMANIA INUNDATED

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 56, 8 April 1929, Page 7

TASMANIA INUNDATED

(Per Press Association).

TWENTY-FIVE PEOPLE REPORTED DEAD. the whmst im misthmy HOUSES AND BRIDGES SWEPT AWAY. tmhee th©usa1w ii©mel1ss

GISBORNE, This day. Melbourne broadcasts on Saturday night indicated. that the Tasmanian tioods proved the most disastrous in ths history of the State. Northern Tasmanian roads and raihvays are submerged and innumerable hridges have been swept away. The damage amounts to hundreds of thousands of pounds. Thre-e thousand people are liomeless in the suburbs of Inveresk and Invermav, and many more are still in danger. There are gravo fears for further loss as the torrential rain is still falling. The Tamar is in record flood, the wharves heing four feet under water. Houses vacated in the aftemoon were inundated to the tops of the walls, The State electrie power works have been disabled and the eity is without ligbt or power. The railways are at a standstill, the lines in somo plaees heing nine feet under water. Many families are marooned on the tops of houses and rescue is difficult, motor boats being required. Tho eountrv erops are ruined and many thousands of stock liavo pcrished. " Wlien the State electrie works were put out of action the old municipal liydro-cle'ctric plant was called upon, but the rising flood soon rendered it impossible to work and the man in charge had a- narrow escape. A suspension bridge has heen destroyed and is hanging by a single wire. A close watch is being kept on the Longford raihvay bridge, connecting the Launceston-Burnie raihvay. The Iving 's bridge, connecting the citv with the suburb of Trevellyn, has been closed to traffie as the water is rushing through the topmost arch. ' A committee of prominent citizens is organising to supply food and clothing to the homeless, who are housed in schools and halls. The steamer Ivoranui swung across a wharf and was in danger for some time, but was eventually secured. The l'owing club's shed was swept down the Tamar and the bowling pavilion at Royal Park turned complctely round. The cattle jetty has also given way. To-night the city was in darkness and the Tamar expanded to a width hitherto unknown. Sundav night's broadcast stated that in the northern districts communication by road and raihvay was a thing of the past and that restoration would involve heavy expenditure. Communication between Launceston and Burnie is also suspended. The death roll totals 25. A later message said that the reteding flood waters only served more clearlv to show the havoc wrought. At low tide the water was pouring from the badly submerged suburbs of Inveresk and Invermay. Thousands are homeless. People in the city responded splendidly to the appeal for help. Tlie ketch Linda and several other small vessels wero swept down the river, and are believed to have been sunk. Many yachts have been lost. The city to-night, Sunday, was without either light, power or gas. Mr Stanlev, manager of the Avoca tin mine, his wife and two children, are missing and it is feared that they have heen drowned. Eive of eight bodics of the persons in a car which plunged into the torrent have been recovered.