THE CYCLONE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 58, 4 March 1909, Page 4

THE CYCLONE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

TOWN OVERWHELMED BY:

WATER.

GREAT DEVASTATION.

[PRESS ASSOCIATION.] (Received March 4, 9.46 a.m.) PERTH, March 4. Tuesday night's storm wrought widespread devastation,, in the Nor-: tham and York districts!

Following four days of intense, heat, rain, accompanied by large hailstones and a cyclonic wind, commenced sud-i denly at Northam, and fell in cata-» racts. Then there was a lull, followed by another even worse storm. fti is estimated that seven inches of rain; fell in thirty-five minutes.

An arm of the Avon River overflowed, and a wall of water two hun^ dred yards wide and five feet deep,, carrying fences, small structures an & all movable articles before it, rushed down on the town, and flooded ..the main street to a depth of'four feet.; Scarcely a house in the town escaped. People took refuge on chairs and! boxes placed on tables. Many had narz*ow escapes. The men engaged ml rescuing one man were washed out ofi a buggy, and were saved by clinging to a hencoop. The constable in charge* of the lockup, wading in water up to his armpits, released two prisoners who would otherwise' have* , beenj drowned.

To make matters worse, the electricf station was flooded, and the town wa^ plunged in darkness. The waters subsided at the end off three hours.

The daylight presented a .remark-* able picture. The streets everywhere) were littered with debris, including dead dogs, sheep and thousands of fowls Most of the houses are nlledT with mud, and are uninhabitable. The* contents were largely destroyed. Business people are the greatest losers, ( . their stocks being ruined. The damage is estimated at from! £10,000 to £15,000. The Mayor ha» opened a relief fuftd. The railway and telegraphic servicesare disorganised, and many washawavs have occurred. At York the storm lasted for two* hours. Hailstones as large as pigeons'l' eggs fell. The main street was flood-* cd. A swing-bridge was partially? washed away, and miles of fencingwere destroyed. . ■'■~'■". .■■"■ Great damage was done to property; and orchards throughout the districts--devastated. ■ -V* '■' At Kalgoorlie three men were ridrngT in a draw, when one of them, named Swift, was struck dead by lightning* - The others received a severe shock.