Disastrous Floods in Queens land.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 25, 31 January 1887, Page 2

Disastrous Floods in Queens land.

INUNDATION IN BRISBANE.

Groat Destruction cf Property.

Disastrous floods huvo occurred all over tho southern part of Queensland. The lower part« of Critbuno and o£ Woolloongabba are submerged, and all traffic by road stopped. On tho Thompson Estate, a largo suburb of the city, many houses have been lifted from the stumps on which they were built, and carried away by the stream. Ono house floated away with tho family in if, nnd tho occupants were rescued with groat dilhculty. At Swau Hill, Albion, O'Connoll Town, Broakfiist Creek, and Ncvratcad, mofit of the houses are under water. The Hood roso co rapidly that people could not leave their house*. Tho police and others woro working all Friday nig'ut, and heroically rescued hundrtds, though the night was pilch dark, and a tremendous gale was blowing iit the timo. Since Friday the beats havo been plying in all the suburbs in place of oidinary traffic. The flood in tho river is unprecedented. All the wharuesura under water, some iO feet. The d.image done to goods was enormous. At the whurf where the ftoamer Merkara !ies, 400 bates of wool were damaged. She i? koepiug etaain up in ca«o of accident. Two steamers broke from their moorings, and one went ashore ■•t Kangaroo Point - the other floated from the bridge to l'etrie'a Bight, whoro eho went athore. Tho steamer Warrego arrived on Saturday uight after n teiriblu pa*soga frotnSydney. t?he anchored at Hamilton Eeacb, ai the conld not steer up stream. Tho Egmont hod a narrow ffOape this morniDg coming round Kangaroo Point, and hashad to anchor wheroleho no a lice. All the steamers a'O keeping fctoitn up in case of accident. A man named Kichard Thompson waa drowned in Mori vale Btreut, South Brisbane, thia afternoon. Tho Sandgato ) ail way i 3 pnrtly submerged, and tho Bowon Bridgo and Breakfast Crook Bridge aro covered. Tho South Pino agricultural district ia com pletely swept. Tho dauiago to crops is ouorinOiH.

Several narrow oseapos h»ve occurrod iv tho iioilh. Tlio Pino I'.ridgo approaches are washed away. At Ipswich tho flood m higher than in 15154. Bris''ano-Ftreet is 15 feet under water Tromondousdamage haa been done, but no lives lost. At Warwick tho flood was the highest and uioit disastrous the pioeont generation has witnessed. The river roso 30 feet in a few hours. There ia ovor four foot of water in business places and tho Government offices i'ho prisoners woro with difficulty rescued from tho lock-up. Two young mon named McNally and C4reiner, on a ratt, risked their lives, and saved inuuy. Only one poreon \.0,3 bo9n drowned, a Misa Kseve, of Emu Vale,' who was climbing along a wire fenco and was washed off. llor two brothers had a narrow escape. Thousands of sheep on (he Canning Downs, Toolburra, Chiverton, and other stations and selections, and Fcotcs of catllo and horsos, have been drowned. Tho water has now f.illon ton fett Tho railway lines arc much damaged in various) localities. Tho lines wore washed away in many places.

Sunday Niuiit,

Rain now seoms to havti stopped, and the floods, if anything, are subsiding. The rivor, which s led by up-country watcre, shows no signs of falling, Very little idea can at present bo funned of tha damage done by the floods. It is believed to bo enormous to storekeeper?, farmers, and squatters, and tnkos the nature of a general calamity. The loss has caused a feeling of depression LATER. The rivor is six inches above tho floodmnrk cf 1864, but gradually falling. It is a bright, starlight ni^ht. Communication with Sydney has been Euapendcd, andthere has beon fearful damage to tho tee" crnph lines. A man named Joseph llalloran was drovvned ou the Thompson Estate, hnving been washed away in a house. A sailor named Jamea Challon, ono of the crew of the barque Afton, was drowned through the boat capeizing in tha river.