FLOODS IN AUSTRALIA.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 243, 5 January 1889, Page 2

FLOODS IN AUSTRALIA.

LIVES LOST IN MELBOURNE AND SYDNEY. Melbourne, yesterday. Severe floods have occurred in the Caatlemaine district. Many houses were swept away, and large numbers of live stock perished. The damage is estimated at about £200,000.

Three Chinamen were drowned by the floods at Campbell Creek. On the afternoon of December 19 a heavy squall broke over Sydney, lasting about twenty minutes. During the storm the thunder was remarkably heavy, and peal after peal buret with fearful noise. Forked lightning accompanied the heavier claps of thunder, and a perfect deluge of water washed the street gutters. Just as the storm bunt it was observed from the ferry steamer Courier that a small boat capsized near Steele Point. The captain of the Courier immediately put back and succeeded in rescuing a man and a woman, who had been the only occupants of the boat. A party of four members of the Metropolitan Polioe Force, who had been en- , joying a day’s fishing in the harbor, sought shelter under Shark Island, and they rowed in that direction as fast as they could. They were, however, unable to gain the island in time, and it was decided to allow the craft to

go before the wind, and the same time pulling sufficiently to keep the boat steady. When within a hundred yards of Clarke Island the squall burst upon them. Tbs boat shipped a big sea and immediately swamped, throwing the four men, Sullivan, Griffiths, Bliss, and Devine, into the water. Devine, who had j ust recovered from a severe illness, immediately sank. Bliss and Griffiths managed tooling to the upturned boat, while Sullivan clutched a floating spar. Owing to the fury of the wind and waves the two former were unable to continue their hold of the boat, and were washed off. With manful exertions Griffiths regained his hold of the boat, but Biss, unable to prolong the struggle, was washed away and disappeared. The remaining men, Sullivan and Griffiths, were driven before the storm iu the direction ot Double Bay, and were soon observed by those on board the schooner Fern and a boat was put off, which rescued them io an exceedingly exhausted condition. They were taken ashore, and the boat returned to search tor the missing men. The body of Bliss was discovered floating pear the water’s edge, but Devine’s body could not be found.