FLOODS IN AUSTRALIA.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 441, 15 April 1890, Page 2

FLOODS IN AUSTRALIA.

FURTHER PARTICULARS BY THE MAIL. Additional information concerning the disastrous floods in New South Wales and Queensland were received by the last steamer from Sydney. The Sydney Morning Herald says:— The Government Astronomer's predictions of serious floods on the Darling are now being

verified. The tremendous rainfall in the Darling Downs and Maranoa districts, just across the New South Wales border, reported a week or so ago, has swollen all the feeders at the heads of the Darling, and the terrible effects are now becoming apparent. Bourke has not yet received the worst, but a flood such as has not been known since 1864 is imminent, and the townspeople are preparing with a full conviction that it is inevitable. (The anticipated disaster at Bourke has since been reported by cable as having actually takon place.) The water is 20 miles wide at places. The Yanda Station is surrounded, many homestead lessees being compelled to abandon their leases. So far there are not very heavy losses of stock reported, but it is feared that the extent of the losses are not yet known. Several families have already left for safe quarters, and more are preparing to follow. There is yet a chance that the present flood-waters may recede sufficiently to obviato damage, but the general opinion is that a big flood is inevitable. The Condamine River, is now sending its waters down towards Bourke. and the Macintyre is in a like dangerous condition. At Yetmm, on the Macintyre, from Wednesday to Saturday last, the flood was the worst on record, the height of the river being no less than 41ft above summer level. The whole town of Yet man is flooded. The post office is closed, with 31in of water on the ground floor. The postmaster and his family have abandoned the building, and taken to a camp on some higher land, and the mails to and from Yetman are stopped by the flood waters. At Walgstt the floods are still high, and likely to continue so for the next two months. But this is not the worst, for the news has been received in (Walgett of extremely high floods coming from the high lands, and the message received from there last night states that the town “ must be submerged.” People are consulting among themselves as to what is bast to be done, and are generally in much distress. Great inconvenience, suffering, and expense are reported, the flood waters extending for eight to twelve miles, and can only be negotiated by the help of boats. A wire from Yetman on Monday stated that the Macintyre River was 4lft high, and that the whole town was under water to a depth of 4ft. The water was 3ft 6in deep in the hotel, and Ift in the police barracks, courthouse and poet office. With the exosptioa of one family, those in the hotel and at the police station, all the inhabitants had to seek refuge on the sand ridges, Great damage has been caused to fences and dams, and there has been much loss ot stock. A report has been received of a boy having been drowned at Coolatai, also a woman named Schultz at Yallarol.

A telegram from Bingara on Friday stated:—The flood in the river is the highest sines 1864. All the residents of North Bingara took to the hills last night, camping in tents and waggons. The firmerg down the river also left their houseo and camped out. Two men who camped on the rivet bank last night were moved by the police just in time, as the water soon covered ths ground. The police went down the river warning tbs residents of the extraordinary high water at Bundarra, where there was a rise of 42ft—6ft more would have flooded the lower pot* tion of Maitland street.

FLOODS IN QUEENSLAND. News received at Brisbane stated that the English Church had been razed to the ground. All the buildings suffered more or less. The country is flooded. The courthouse has been thrown open for the reception 0! the boms* less. The loss of property is enormous at Cardwell. Only four houses are left standing; all others are either wholly down, unroofed, or otherwise destroyed, In fact, all Cardwell is a complete wreck. At Dungeness, on Monday morning, the sea was so high that all the people left the place at daylight for higher ground. The cyclone was of terrific force. AU the sugar-cane is levelled. At Marburg, on Friday, the water in the creek had risen considerably during the day, but about 7 o'clock in the evening a terrific rush of water came down the valley, and iu its course enveloped the whole town. Belief parties were immediately formed, and the greatest despatch was used by several residents 0! the place in removing different families to greater places ot safety. Within five minutes after the first indication of the approach of the waters the township was flooded, the waters rising 16 inches above the last flood level. At Stanthorpe the water commenced to rise about 5 o’clock on Thursday evening and continued to rise till 5 o'clock on Friday morning, when it was several feet higher than on any previous occasion. The follow, ing buildings were carried away:—J. P. Ryan’s store, post office, court-house, police barracks, Malone’s hotel, kitchen, and stables, Keating’s blacksmith shop, Barnes and Archibald’s store, and a cottage near their store. On Texas station the house occupied by Doherty and a butcher's shop were Carried away. The water was very high at the head station, and it is reported that Mr and Mrs Elwyn, at Gunyan, had to take refuge on the roof, and afterwards on an ironbark tree, where they remained from Thursday night to Saturday morning. A great many cattle and horses were carried down the river and drowned. The water came down four miles wide, and at one time rose a foot in ten minutes. The gravest apprehensions are felt for the settlers below the township, and it is feared several families must be drowned, if they did not leave their holdings on Thursday afternoon.

HURRICANE AT TOWNSVILLE. The steamer Burdekin arrived at Townsville from Dungeness, Cardwell, and Geraldton. Captain Keir reports that the sugar cane and banana crops are damaged, but the hurricane did nothing carious at Donga nets. Terrific gales have been blowing. Buuys and beacons were washed away and houses and stores blown down and unroofed. It is reported that the damage up the Herbert River to the crops at Miles is vary great. Thi schooner Liffey, laden with eugar, is stranded, but she may ba got off. The Mary Helen, timber schooner, is a total wreck, Four of the Colonial Sagar Company’s punts were wrecked. The Forwarding Company's launch Kent is a total wreak. The same Company lost five punts. The three-masted schooner Karoola is stranded, and may ba got off. The Cardwell jetty was wrecked, the courtbouee unroofed, and the school shifted. Hardly a house escaped without injury. Thomson's sawmill and wharves were wrecked. Dungeness and Cardwall experienced the full force of the cyclone, and it ie feared that many lives have been lost. Two fishermen named Swenson, living on South Bernard Island, went out to save a boat which was dragging her anchor. The wife of one of them saw the boat lose her jib and break away. It is feared the men are drowned. A woman and four children have been on the island for two days, and their houses have been blown away. They suffered terrible privation. It is believed that ten blaokfellowe beohe. de-mer fishers, were drowned.