TIDAL WAVES

Grey River Argus, 17 August 1934, Page 5

TIDAL WAVES

At Port Pirie (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) ADELAIDE, August 16. Two babies were drowned, and at least a thousand people were rendered homeless, and damage amounting to many thousands of pounds was caused by tidal waters, which swept into Port Pirie when an embankmen* gave way, and inundated the greater part of the township. The residential area of Ellendale suffered most severely. Scarcely a house remains occupied, and the whole area is a vast sheet of water. It was miraculous that the loss of life was not greater, when the tidal waters, banked up by a. terrific gale, burst through the embankment. Those people in Ellendale, who were not rescued immediately, were forced to spend a night on the roof tops. The confusion and panic were increased by the failure of the electric light supply plunging the town into darkness. Water in some places almost reached the tops of doorways. The babies drowned were Colin Burghini, aged five months, and Kevin Ba verstock, three months. They were swept from the arms of their parents, while being carried through swollen waters. From one end of the State to the other, but particularly in the western section, houses were wrecked, fences flattened, trpos uprooted. Mrs. Ba verst ock was awakened by the noise of flood waters. She seized her baby, Kevin, and escaped through a window. She managed to reach the gateway with water up to the rm pits. There she met the full force of the torrent surging down the street. She lost her balance and the baby was swept a wav.

STORM IN N.S.W. RED RAIN AND FREAK LIGTITNINIG. SYDNEY. August 16. Freak >sh coloured ’ightning, red rain, heavv hail, and cyclonic winds were features of a remarkable storm which affected New South Wales Queensland and Victoria yesterday. Extensive damage was caused in the inland districts of New South Wales. Trees and telephone poles wore unrootps verandahs wrecked and house* were unrooted by a storm which swept through thp Dunedoo, Berrigan, and Wellington townships. Torrential rain has fallen in the Alurrumbidgee River district. Settlers are making preparations to withstand floods, A num her of people have already loft their homes at. Gundagai, Wagga, Narrandpra am] o'her towns on thp rivor.

VICTORIAN GALES. •MELBOURNE, August 16. Fierce Igales, accompanied bv heavy spas sP' louslv d sorgani'-od shipping. The S lowy River at Orbost is rising rai'ilh’. The police arc ready with boans. QUEENSLAND DUST STORM. ' SYDNEY, August 16. A Brisnane message states that Central mid Southern Queensland are thickly enveloped in dust. The mot POfolo list, Mr Rond, believes the wind wil.'j blow the dust at a high altitude a 4 fa>y as New Zealand.