SEVEN DROWNED IN FLOODS

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25834, 20 June 1949, Page 7

SEVEN DROWNED IN FLOODS

6000 Homeless In N.S.W. SEVERAL TOWNS EVACUATED (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) (Rec. 8.30 p.m.) SYDNEY. June 19. Seven persons have been drowned and three others are believed lost in extensive floods along the central coast of New South Wales. At least 6000 people are homeless, and enormous damage has been done. Many towns are in danger, and large communities are entirely surrounded by flood waters. Flooding in the mining area of the Hunter river is the most extensive known there. When the Hunter burst its banks yesterday the police ordered the evacuation of several towns, including Singleton, with a population of 5000. Streams of refugees poured to higher ground al! yesterday. At Maitland. 30 miles down tho river, gangs of volunteers are working desperately io build flood banks with sandbags to save the main part of the town, the lower part of which is already flooded. There are fears that the Hawkesbury river may turn from its course and run along a new bed about five miles north of Windsor. Other results of the floods, rain, and stormy weather are that Sydney will be without gas by to-morrow, milk is in very short supply, train services between Sydney and Brisbane have been stopped because of washouts, eggs will be scarce because of the number of fowls drowned in the floods, and vegetable crops have been severely damaged. George Gardiner, aged 25. and Basil Clifton, aged 15. both farm-hands, were drowned when they attempted to cross the Hunter river on horseback to reach safety. George Pye, aged 25. was drowned in South creek, near his home at Windsor. Esme Gordon, aged 16. was drowned in Curreki creek when helping a number of small children to cross. Robert Arthur, aged 21, was swept away and lost when he tried to ride a horse through Davis creek near Aberdeen. John Robert Wilson, aged 42, an overseer at the Warragamba dam, was swept away aqd drowned in sight of his wife when trying to cross the Nepean river by a wire strung across it. The Maitland police fear that three soldiers engaged in rescue work have been lost. Their boat was swept across a submerged sports ground into a deep river hole and overturned. No trace of them has been found since. Food Dropped by Aircraft Relief aircraft were active to-day dropping blankets, food, and clothing to most of the distressed areas. Consignments of blankets have been dropped on high ground near Singleton and Maitland. Army amphibious vehicles and tanks are doing yeoman service. “Ducks” removed many invalids and stretcher cases to hospitals and rescued 17 women from a stalled bus in a Maitland street. When 15 persons at Oakhampton ignored an evacuation warning another “duck” had to be rushed to their rescue through 20 feet of water. One amphibious tank was oogged down and swamped, but its crew was rescued. A father and son in Katoomba prevented a railway accident when they noticed a washaway on the edge of a cliff on the main western line near Katoomba. Thousands of tons of earth had fallen away, leaving the rails suspended over a 200 ft drop. They rang the Medlow Bath station, but were told that the express for Sydney had already passed through. They then ran half a mile through blinding rain, waving their coats and shouting to the engine-driver. The train was travelling quickly when sighted and was brought to a standstill on the brink of the washaway.