STORM SWEPT SYDNEY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 11, 13 July 1931, Page 9

STORM SWEPT SYDNEY

HAVOC AND DISTRESS

PLIGHT OF UNEMPLOYED

(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, 9th July. . After a delightful '-week-end, and practically without warning, Sydney on Monday and Tuesday was swept by one of tho most violent gales in its history. Actually tho metropolis was tile centre of a .terrific cyclone, which passed away even mor° suddenly, than it appeared. It .loft-behind a trail of desolation —misery among tho unemployed, roofless homes and shops, uprooted trees, flattened fences, flooded yards, wrecked gardens, and disorganised transport, services. Most people, Avhen they talk of Sydney's weather, refer to the great cyclone of; Easter, 1927. Except if or the fact that the 1927 visitor remained for nearly a week, it was not.to.be compared with tho fury of this week's gale. \ Tor nearly forty-eight hoqrs, with scarcely a spell, torrential rains accompanied: winds which. reached the velocity of seventy miles .an hour. It was a fierce, lashing rain, which nothing could keep out of tho suburban homes. Sydney homes, it should be understood, are not as weatherproof as New Zealand homes, for gales of this description arc- few and far between. ; - When thfcy do arrivo they quickly: discover the weak spots, and so it is that most sub- ( urban residents wore almost flooded out.' During twenty-four hours from late on Sunday night nearly 7in of rain fell in. tho Greater Sydney area—a total of 081,|984,0Q0 tons. Host of the area was already rain soaked as the result of an unusually wet winter; so the surplus water found difficulty in getting away. Consequently the low-lying suburban ureas—Eandwiek, Mascot,. Botany, and the liko were quickly flooded, water oven entering many of tho houses. Storm water channels and drains overflowed alarmingly, and during the height of tho galo on Monday night thero were a, number of gallant rescues from roofless and flooded dwellings., CAMPS DESTROYED. .But. the heart of Sydney went out most of all to thei unfortunate unemployed who-had mado their own shelters on' Crown lands. Their suffering was intense. Tako the-famous "Happy Valley" at La Porouse, for instance. Hero scores of families had settled down, philosophically .making the best 'of things. They lived in tents or shelters "made of old timber and iron. •• Under the management' of an efficient committee it became a model settlement until this storm crushed all their hopes. The elements showed no pity. Tents were lifted and carried miles away; other shelters rapidly became ruins.: The shed which housed the boats from which they fished in qrdcr that their menu might bo varied was mercilessly washed to sea. Monday night, when the gale was at its height, was a dreadful one oven for those .in comfortable, wellfurnished homes. How much'worse was it then for those suffering all the hardships of life. When tho ambulance men answered a call to the camp on Tuesday morning they found many of the women and children so ill that they had to be removed to hospital. What was left of tiny huts was .inunda'tcid with water and the occupants, huddled togother in a corner, sobbed bitterly. It is to the credit, of the Government that immediate steps were taken to ielieve tho position and afford the necessary food and shelter. Many dwellers in "Happy Valley" say that they will return at tho first opportunity and they have appealed to Sydney pooplo to givb them material to reconstruct their huts. It is safe to say that the appeal will not be in _vain. : ■ '-~"■ ■ .At another of the camps—at Lideoinbe—inoro than two1 hundred people were washed out. and had to -be given shelter in the local Town' Hall- When their plight became' known, so numerous .were the, offers of .help that by ; Tuesday, night-every,.-woman and child was billeted in private homes, ltich and poor alike, answered the call and did much to relievo the suffering. The men, for tho most part, refused offers of accommodation.and" expressed a do'termination to return to their flooded camp and restore'it so. that their families could return at the earliest ".possible opportunity. . The Long Bay encampment, which housed more than 100 unemployed and their families, was'wreekcd beyond repair. Many of the inhabitants found shelter at the home of the Governor of the Long Bay Penitentiary. In many of the country centres the same conditions of affairs prevailed. The unemployed camp at Lake Illawarra, on the South-Coast, was demolished by the cyclone, the tents being blown to ribbons. Tho .police and members of Jie. local relief committee found it difficult to provide shelter for the 250 people, including women and children^ who had been forced to spend a whole'night in the driving rain. . TRANSPOKT DISLOCATED; Tho city's transport .services suffered severely, and tho force of tho gale can be best understood when it is known that tho Manly berries had to suspend operations. Tho company made a valiant effort to keep the boats running, but surrendered to tho elements on Monday aftornoon, when a huge wave crashed on to one of the steamers near tho "Heads and injured nine of tho passengers. Only one of the passengers needed hospital treatment, but the company, heeded the ■■warning and left the Manly people to got home tht best way they, could. , This meant an overland, circuitous journey for several thousand peop!6, and the,trams were, unable to cope -with tho unexpected rush. The authorities started buses, but even these were insufficient, and scores of people- who left their business at 5 o'clock did not reach home until aftor 9 o'clock. And what a. bright homecoming it was for many of them. Over a 1 wide, area tlie electric light had failed, and thousands of homes in all the suburbs were for hours dimly lit with candles. Leaking roofs added to tho misery. . . . ■ <' In other.suburbs the tram tracks-were destroyed. At Botany, a largo dam

bjoke its banks and a violent torrent of water was released. Tramway trucks were ripped up and the railway embankment was washed away. Both railway and tramway services were suspended for some time. The roads were in such a state that even the motorbuses wero marooned. Mud was1 everywhere. The tramway track to La Perouse was washed away at one point, aud it will be at least a week before the service is restored. Live wires came down in all directions. Two people were electrocuted and a number of horses in different parts of .the.-city eaino into fatal contact with them. E- cry where the telephone sei-vico was disorganised, thus adding to the general confusion. The delay in the arrival of 'a number of ' steamers caused great anxiety. ' All sorts of rumours were circulated .that ships wero in distress, but each proved to be unfounded. Shipping men, whose vessels haS been standing off for twenty-four hours, said that the storm was the worst they had ever experienced on the •Jew South Wales, coast.