TORRENTIAL RAINS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 64, 9 December 1930, Page 11

TORRENTIAL RAINS

Downpour in Victoria

MELBOURNE AFFECTED

Large Areas Flooded HARVESTING SET-BACK Uy ' Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Melbourne, December 8. Heavy downpours of rain have been recorded in many places inland. Nethcrby, in the Mallee country, reports, seven inches, and Kinnabulla and Beulah over six inches. Crops have been seriously damaged. Railways are interrupted by washouts. Melbourne anil suburbs are seriously affected. One thousand telephones have been put out of action. A horseman named O’Brien was drowned while crossing the flooded Whitehead Creek, near Seymour. Many narrow escapes are recorded. Extensive damage has been done in Victoria by floods. Practically the entire State has been drenched. The wheat crops in Mallee are under water, and floods are feared along the Campaspe River at Orbost, and other parts of Gippsland. Shops at Woodend were flooded out, and several suburbs have been inundated. The most serious floods were at Heidelberg and Kew, where a very large area of land is under water. Several railway bridges and culverts were destroyed, and the Sydney express was delayed for hours. No serious loss of live stock is reported, though many cattle are marooned.

Harvesting operations received a severe set-back. The wheat losses are certain to be heavy. Earlier in the month it was estimated that the yield would amount to fifty million bushels. The heavy rain caused a postponement of inter-State tennis and the Moonee Valley races. Heavy thunderstorms are reported from the northern districts of Adelaide, and the worst floods have occurred since 1923. Railway washouts and damage to roads are reported in many places. The Broken Hill express was held up for eight hours. LABOUR REBUFFED Elections at Adelaide ALL-ROUND DEFEATS Adelaide, December 8A feature of the municipal elections in the city was the return of an unendorsed Labour candidate, who easily defeated the endorsed sitting member. Labour candidates were also defeated in two recognised strongholds in Port Adelaide and Port Pirie, the casualties in the latter place including the Legislative Assembly member, Mr. Fitzgerald, who has been Mayor for five years.