AUSTRALIAN FLOODS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 102, 1 May 1890, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN FLOODS.

THE BOURKE DISASTER.

■;; ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. WKf Our Sydney files received to-day con tail • ' I additional particulars of the damage <Wl|§|B by the floods at Bourke. A despatch. fron.*)%[l Bourke on the 19th ult. said We flooded out now and., np mistake: The water is all round us, and the land is the railway station, half an acre ijp|||l extent. In the principal streets the averages3f t, but in many parts it is 4ft deeplfp'l • It is rumoured that a woman and threft ij children have been drowned at. a placi| called Gowton, on the north-east side of tbss|*| town. The river is still rising. 9 The wate'j -jag rose 4in in the 24 hours, as measurer! .f££, .jafc o'clock this morning. A measiirlffi^^^lß^l tQ >>«M*were is great want of boats in j#wn, and the only means of fjeiis Jting abput is on horaeback. Bten'theii the rider; is hound to get wet through! J the horse tumbling in holes caused bl I the current. The Sydney mail, whicW op- j nved here at 11.30, had to be broughibi | boat for nine miles. Up to Friday after i noon we were fighting the water, nowlfch*' I water is fighting ue. The town is aIE 1 and every street a canal. Houses atlnl 1 solitary , and . tenantless. . The maioito I 9l them.... are, of wood, and hare- M I feefc jof water' passing through theftV 1 The,next despatch (Aprii 20th) statll; & is desolate and' deserted. \ Wla* I the, Wjatw , threatened,. the pepple in ft* 1 surrdundmg district flew tp the town all * I took iefuge in the hotels'; now they J* i leaving the hotels as fast as they can $ 1

away. They will place confidence X 1 nothing but dry land." . £-■■•« On the following Monday the food isuppli H was reported to be running short, but 4 uneasiness was felt on this scbt& as arrange' ffl ments were made by the railway people ta I forward fresh supplies. F#rmtuire in many 1 cottages was afloat, and it was no unusual W thing to see household goods coming dowi 1 the streets, while the railway line was ee£ H ting worse and worse. There were 20$ § ab the railway station o* % Monday night, the river wae 42 feet 7J I inches above summer level. A despatch J from Bourke on Tuesday stated • f 1 pied by men, wonX^' on occu- ' g horses, cattle, goats, doga riSE 1 W» || animals. Many buildings are etaMSg™? || and apparently are strong, but themSNM&l | are full of water and water is all arounS* I * 1 them." . j \n

Telegraphing from Louth on Thursday, the Sydney "Morning Herald" corres-: j pondent said:—'' At four o'clock this morning everyone in town was roused by the watchman's warning signal on the embankment works round Loutb. A great rush was made to where, the. signals were sounding. All hands went to work, and] ! made every effort to stop the gap wherei the water, was. rushing through, which was at the back of the Royal Hotel, but thai terrible rush of water soon got the best of s the workmen. Less than 5 minutes after the signal was given, 50 willing hands were on; the scene 6f the disaster, and; within half-an-hour of the. time the enjbankmenb first gave way ; nct an inch of dryi ground could be found in Loiith. * In. than 10 minutes" it could fee seen efforts wereunavailable. The down the streets in tor rente. . The noisa made by the water flowing into! the gutters and cellars was something? deafening. There waß great consternation! & when the hews flew round that the Water had bested the workmen. Ab daylight the men could be seen walking in the water la the streets up to their waists carrying theie belongings out of the houses. Now and! then one not knowing the lately-excavaterf trenches would euddenly disaDDear S head in the water, bursts of laughter hW-hefrto? ■ * who had nothings lose by the flood waters!: Luckily nearly all the worn** children;

were moved onto the-sand several days ago, or eerioue lose of life tt&tfronertvi .__ would probably have taken plat*. yto P e «yl . The Tost and Telegraph Office Ag Royal Hotel are the onlyl)uilding» vrt „,- consequence in town that are not water. The damage done cannot ye*** estimated, but it is considered that all brlfl£ f. buildings will be ruined, The gardens are totally submerged, and the; damage to this property alone, it is co»----sidered, will reach £800. 'A JJM}p£ hrick building lately ocoupled by Mr Jantesj Boland, general storelceeper, this afternoon,;; one side,of . the b|ildijt(£ falling ta the grownd and. gmfc ifilf, • '•*'*' >*' { - ■' -/'■»• -r