STORMS IN EAST AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25705, 18 January 1949, Page 7

STORMS IN EAST AUSTRALIA

SEVERE DAMAGE TO PROPERTY

Sydney, January it. Freak storms continue to cause thousands of pounds’ worth of damage in the eastern stat** of Australia. Early to-day snowstorms, torrential rains and gale* were reported in Victoria, Tasmania, and Queensland. After g furious storm on Saturday afternoon, the week-end w*» mild in Sydney, but storm clouds are gathering again to-d*y, Late last night in Victoria, hundreds of windows were broken, tone** were blown down, and root tile* were ,ien * Th* sloop Merlan, returning from Tasmania after competing in th* Syd-ney-Hobart sac*, was driven on to a root at Port Phillip Head* and wrecked, Heavy seas swamped the cUDEfiy. find a lifeboat from the shore was unable to fight Its way tq thship. Four fishermen manned a small boat and picked up all foqr yachtsmen, whom they rowed to the life-

to Australia, was at the mercy qf th* gale for 90 minute* in th* Yarra, when all her 11 mooring line* snapped, ah* drove stern first into the migrant snip Rena, knocking the Renas bridge askew, ripping out a steel stanchion, and smashing the lounge window*. When she blew clear of th* Rena th* Cltros dragged her anchors *cros* the river, struck a wharf, and bumped three lighters, Two tugs picked ner up, but as they were manoeuvring tq berth her the towline snapped, and the Citros smashed a hoi* in the bow of the British collier Beatus. Sea* crashed over waterfront roads, bringing traffic to a standstill. Inland blizzard* disrupted telephone communications and heavy snowfall* blocked road*. Heavy rain washed out campers. In Bass Strait, heavy sea* delayed shipping. No ships left Melbourne yesterday and several vessel* are sheltering off the ee**L In Queensland, severe damage has been done to building* and crops. A storm, lasting 30 minutes, last night unroofed 10 house* and a bank in Brisbane, blew down power line*, and broke hundred* of windows. Other storm* unroofed building* and levelled crops in country district*. In New South Wale*, two itarma have unrooted about 900 horn**. In Melbourne a young married woman w*» killed by lightning when •he wai gathering clothes from a Un* at her house. Tne clothe* line w»« strung between two pine tree*, one of which was struck by lightning.