DEATH AND DAMAGE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 14 February 1927, Page 9

DEATH AND DAMAGE

FOLLOW QUEENSLAND FLOODS TOWNS UNDER WATER. HOUSES AV ASHED AWAY. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. Received 11.35 a.m. to-day. BRISBANE, Eeb. 14.. Latest reports state that the cyclone in Northern Queensland caused 15 deaths, while many people are reported to be. missing.T.he cyclone at Ingham Avas accompanied by the highest flood in the history of the Herbert River. It swept, the district for 48 hours, commencing on Wednesday night, AA-hen practically the Avhole of the area Avas submerged, and resulted in an appalling loss of life, and damage to property, crops, and heavy loss of liA’e stock. Nearly ten inches of rain fell oil Wednesday night, and the same rainfall Avas reported at Herberton, which is at the base of the Herbert River. The water came doAvn in a raging torrent, trapping hundreds of people, Avne were living in the loav lying parts. By Friday morning the flood had reached its apex and Avas three feet higher than the record flood of 1894. In Ingham there Avere many houses destroyed and many Avere Avashecl bodily doAvn the stream. Three men on one of these buildings Avere rescued AV’hen the house' stranded, after being exposed tAA’o days and two nights. A meeting of the authorities appointed a A-igilance committee and the Avhole toAvn and surrounding districts have been rationed. Food is scarce and has to be obtained by ticket. Special constables have been sworn in and are making arrangements to house a great number of the refugees, AA’ho haA’e lost cA’erything. Although communication Avitli the outside district is still considerably interrupted, it is knoAA’n that at Ripple, Creek, a house containing seA’enteon Italians Aims swept away, and only two were saved. The damage to property has been immense, and at Ingham boats are plying all night, rescuing marooned families, and supplying food to some people Avho haA’e been living on their house-tops for three days Avithout food. Hundreds of horses and cattle Avere seen SAvimming about in the waters for' hours before being, drowned. The AA’hole district is littered AAdth carcases. A sudden moderation of the Avind on Thursday undoubtedly saved many Ih’es. Halifax is still isolated, but it is believed that this centre lias suffered heavily owing to the sudden rise of the Herbert RiA’er. Torrents of rain again delayed. Cairns on Saturday night, causing further extensive damage. Later adA’ices from Ingham state that the flood Avaters are rising. The Avater is six feetdeep in the main street.

RIVERS RISE PHENOMENALLY. , TOWNS IN 7 ”DANGER:. SERIOUS CASUALTIES REPORTED Received 12.35 p.m. to-day. BRISBANE, Feb. 14. At Home Hill Avater from the Burde. kin Rii’er rose at the phenomenal rate of ten feet in an hour and a half. It: was 3i feet- over the railway line at Inkerman railway bridge throughout Saturday night, and it continued to rise, and then, in the early hours, the alarm whistle at the poAver-house announced that it had broken its banks. At daylight the rh’er was rushing in an angry stream and had flooded many hundreds of acres of cane lands. - A little later the water was seA’ernl feet over the rails at Inkerman bridge and wa's rushing through the town in an angry torrent. The residents removed to the mill barracks on the high ground' without loss of life.

Though the river reached the record height at Charters Towers no alarm is felt, owing to the, enormous area of country over which the Avater may spread between the town and Boaa’oti. The Air Force has offered to send seaplanes from BoAven, if necessary. The riA’er at Charters Towers has risen to a record height of 65 feet. At places the river is a mile wide, and considerable anxiety is felt for the safety of the towns of Selheim and Macrossnn. At the latter place all residents and their belongings have been removed to the high ground, but the river is noiv 79 feet o\ r er the summer le\-el and is still rising.

A remarkable feature in this area is' that, although the river is at a record height, only two inches- of rain haA’O fallen. Much anxiety is also felt for the residents of Ayr and Home Hill, as the flood waters will not reach the maximum in these districts until Monday morning. A train is field in readi. ness to rescue the residents. The postmaster at Home Hill advised on Saturday that he- had closed the post office as the river was about to break its banks. He added that if the train reached the town all the residents Mould be saved. The acting-Premier has received -a report that at least 150,000 tons of tho. estimated crop of 600,000 tons of sugar, cane have been destroyed. N The Marine Board adv’ised that all navigation marks in the area affected by the cyclone Avere out of position, ["lie board, therefore, is recommending daylight navigation only- for the present Shipping all along the- coast is sheltering. Other reports state that at least 20 lives have been lost and many are missing. At Beamsid© Avhole families have been Aviped out, and the coastal steamer Innisfail and several launches, carrying fishing parties are missing.