BALLARAT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1099, 9 November 1869, Page 3

BALLARAT.

(From the "Evening Mail.") After several bright days the weather gave token on Friday night of breaking up, but no rain fell until just before 2 o'clock on Saturday morning when it wa accompanied by a smart thunder storm. 8 Thereafter a steady fall took place. The rain was not of the ordinary variable character) but continued to pour down in one steady sheet, swelling the gutters and watercourses, and overflowing the footpaths. The sight on either side of the Bridge was deplorable. Several feet of water, were pouring through the handsome business premise* on either side of that fihjwughiare, and goods being destroyed #nolesalcs, whilst the owners, powerless to save,; were forced to look on at the destruction of their property, knowing in

many instanoes that complete and utter ruin had come upon them. None esoaped. Messrs. Little, Johnson, Lang, Crawford, Bennett, Twentyman, and Stamper, Steinfeld Slowman, and the remainder of our principal Bridge-street tradesmen all had the water several feet above the floors of their premises, and the water played fearful havoc with their valuable stocks. To enumerate the extent of damage or individual losers by this terrible calamity is impossible at this stage; but in Bridgestreet alone £20,000 is scarcely thought too high a figure at which to estimate the injuries done. Of the floods at the other parts of the town we can only speak briefly. From Bridge-street it extended to the White Flat. The greatest points of attraction in this neighbourhood were the Danastreet and White Flat bridges. The Danastreet bridge was fast breaking up, and all traffic at this point was stopped about two o'clock; the water covering a space of about one hundred yards each side; everyone shifting out of the neighborhood as fast as possible. The houses in the line of the creek between the two bridges were standing half out of the water, with all chance of escape cut off. At the White Flat bridge an outlet was made for the water by cutting a channel across the road on the; west side of this bridge, which fast carried the road away on each side, the dirt falling in every five minutes. All chance of crossing this bridge was put a stop to before 3 o'clock. The destruction of property in the neighborhood will be very great among the working classes, as the number of small and neat-looking houses on the line of creek seem doomed to utter destruction. The casualties reported, are a Mrs. Benjamin, two children, another adult female, and four Chinese. The son of Mr. Walker, confectioner, of Bridgestreet, is also missing. Quite a number of cab-horses, &c, were drowned by the floods.