THE VICTORIAN FLOODS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2601, 8 September 1909, Page 2

THE VICTORIAN FLOODS.

BURSTING OF A WEIR. TOWNSHIP UNDER WATER. BENDIGO, Aug. 30. The most sensational incident of the floods in the Loddon Valley 'was the sudden breaking of the Laaneooorie weir. Unable to withstand the tremendous pressure of water which had ban'ked up behind, the earthworks gave way about one o’clock this morning, and were swept down the Loddon. several townships have been flooded, but as yet no loss of,life has been reported, and in several districts the waters are receding. , _ ' T The torrent of water which the breach set free, added to that which had already swollen the stream beyond its usual volume, leaped the raised banks, and the flood spread for miles over the flat country on each side of the river.. Some idea- of the extent of the inundation may be gauged from the tact that thoroughout the recent period or rain the tributary streams flowing into the Loddon, the Bet Bet, Burnt Greek, and other small watercourses were ail swollen, and their contribution provided a pressure which the weir was unable to withstand. Previous to the breach, the waters which were flowing over the weir were carried off by the by-wash. When the earthworks gave awav in a magnificent sweep of water, which tore away the levees, the torrent rushed down the river bed and tore its own course towards jjaanecoo.no. This scattered' Immlet, half a mile from the weir, was soon submerged. I he Laanecobrie bridge, which bore the full brunt of the freed waters, was earned away instantly. Nearly every house in the township was submerged to heights varying from two to eight feet. The damage to property was considerable, but there was no loss of life. The next town to encounter the force of the flood was Newbridge, but, as this was six miles further down, the first mad rush of the waters had been reduced to a steady sweep. The wateT, however, rose rapidly, and soon the town was inundated, and the few boats available' were imfliediately made use of to rescue those who had to take refug© on the roofs of their houses. These boats were used for pleasure purposes in happier circumstances, and, inadequate as they were, they were the only means of averting what might have been disaster. There is cjtill_ some doubt as to whether all the residents have been rescued. The next town in the course of the flood was Bridgewater, 16 miles from Laaneooorie. Here the low-lying lands were already under water. The deluge, consequent upon the collapse of portions of the weir, brought the height of the water to more than that of the flood of 1870 by several inches. At first the destruction of the railway bridge was feared, but fortunately it withstood the pressure. The road bridge, however, gave way, and a breach was made in its centre. The bridge over Sandy Creek is not considered safe, and railway communication between Bridgewater and Inglewood is suspended. The main portion of Bridgewater stands fairly compactly together on ft small area on the east side of the river. Just below the ralway-bridge stands the flour-mill, the motive power for the machinery of which is obtained from the river itself. It is a brick structure, being one of the largest of its kind in the Northern district. It was flooded, and a quantity of wheat and flour was destroyed. , On the Inglewood-road, within 50 yards of the river, is Sawers’s Hotel, which was soon surrounded by the flood waters. The inmates were soon compelled to seek safety, but Mr. Sawers and a groom would not leave the place, and took refuge on the roof. When the train, which had been despatched from Bendigo, left Bridgewater on the return journey, they still maintained their position, Mr. Sawens assuring the groom that there was no occasion for alarm. Elsewhere the water had invaded the houses, the residences which fringe the east bank of the river Buffering: most. ■ So far as . can be ascertained, there has been no loss of life, but reports have still to be received from the outlying districts. The danger has practically passed as far as these towns are concerned, but misgivings are felt as to the state of things at Kerang. Scores of carcases of sheep and cattle are' floating down the stream, but as yet the loss of stock cannot be guaged with any accuracy. Among the debris are outhousese and other structures, but as yet there are no signs that houses have been demolished../ . Several vacant tenements at Laanecoorie were swept away when the weir burst. Crops have been destroyed, fences demolished, and the sheets of water extend over the country two. to four miles on either side of-the river. . ’ SUFFERERS BY FLOOD. Among the residents between Laanecoorie and Newbridge who have sustained severe losses are. Messrs Waugh, Senior, and Joyner Bros. At Newbridge most of the damage was done on the east side of the river. Simpson’s store and hotel were invaded ■with water, and Peterson’s bakery has been, swept away. The members of the household are safe. Mr. Simpson, sen., his daughters, and another lady were on the roof of the house, at noon. Mr W. Wallace observed their signals for assistance, and proceeded to Derby to secure the boat sent down by train from Bendigo. In the meantime, however, the waters had subsided sufficiently to allow of the stranded party being rescued with the help of a vehicle. On the west side of the river Yeo Brothers’ store, Toomey’s Hotel, and the. butcher’s shop of Mr. Jennings, were inundated to a depth of several feet. Other residents also suffered. Between Newbridge and Bridgewater a number of houses were isolated, but; as they are on high land there is little apprehension. At Bridgewater practically the whole of the town was submerged to a depth of from sft. to Bft. Residents, wherever possible, fled lor safety, but a number who could not make their escape sought the highest point in the

immediate vicinity, generally the roofs of the houses. Thus, when the flood was at its height, numbers of people were to be seen on the house tops. They were secure so long as the- foundations of the houses stood, and the waters did not rise to their level. However, the flood continued to rise rapidly. The work of rescue by boat was not accomplished without exciting, incidents,, but fortunately no lives were lost. The Bendigo police' were asked to send, up more boats and rescue parties. These arid ved by special train, but their assistance' was not required. By this time the waters had receded from four to six feet. _ _ , Business people suffered damage to stock. In one instance nearly all the plant in a blacksmith’s shop was carried away. A grocery store lost a large quantity of .sugar, which had just been obtained from the warehouse. Hie railway station, being situated on a small embankment, was one of the few places not submerged.