HURRICANE AT PORT DARWIN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2237, 14 January 1897, Page 15

HURRICANE AT PORT DARWIN.

! A TOWNSHIP WRECKED. ' Adelaide. January 7. During a hurricane which at Port . Darwin this morning nearly nix inches of rain fell. Nearly every building in the township was wrecked, and the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company's station, whloh is built of stone, and which also includes the Government telegraph offioe, was I damaged. ) The overland telegraph lines are down, • and communication has not' yet been re- { stored. j January 9. 1 A .few details have been received of the j disastrous hurricane at Pore Darwin. The j churohes, banks, and hotels were demolished, j and hardly & building is left standing in the ! cownship. The huts at Chinatown and at the i t*rminua of tho Port Darwin-Pine Creek rail- ' way w^re wrecked. • Many luggers are missing. A number ■ of Chinese and Japanese and Australian ' aboriginals were killed, but very few Euro- : peans ware injured, and there were no deaths amongst them, It is estimated that the damage will not be less than LIOO.OOO. Pobt DARwrN, January 10. The town is a mass of ruins. People fled from thoir houses and rushed hither and thither looking for shelter. Neaily all the families are houseless. Two blacks sought shelter in the Catholic church, but the building collapsed and killed them. Three Chinese were killed in Chinatown, and 40 are missing. A number of Europeans were injured, several vessels tank ar. their moorings, while 12 luggers are missing. Twenty , inches of rain foil during the storm. j January 11. ! The cyclone was preceded by two distinct j snooks of earthquake. The cyclone lasted '• fonr hours. Ten bodies have bean recovered from the ruins. The damage is estimated at LI 00,000. j Sixteen luggers are missing, including nix . oil the London Pearling Company's fleet' of I boats, with orews of six in eacb. The ! Government steam launch and the launch | Maggie are also missing, while another steam j launch is a total wreck. The fatality amongst the Chinese coolies is greater than at first thought. The bodies of six have been recovered. A European named Tracey died from a shook of fright. A large stretch of railway has been washed away. | A strong appeal has been made to the Government to allow Chinese to be brought from Singapore to assist in rebuilding th« i township, other labour being unavailable.