THE RECENT RAINS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume 29, Issue 1521, 23 December 1898, Page 2

THE RECENT RAINS.

; o — : In this quarter of the country we are so use 1 to a deficiency of rain that when it does descend in torrents the farmer and the miner, each to his own tunc and each in his own vernacular are inclined to reader an original -Hallelujah Chums, unless indeed, the happenings, as ti result of tho tall threaten to become tragical. One peculiarity of the recent rain »eoms to bo thac it falls on only u limited area at a time ; but how it falls ov«-r that area. On Monday tho rain wan falling in torrents on the ridges to the N.W. of Naseby so that the water-ways past Bolting's and Hall's shops were qiiito inadequate for the conveyance of the roaring torrents that came down for about in hour, while at the same time only a very little fell at the Hospital. People, however, seemed much more glad that the rain had come tliuti vexed by tho trifling damage done. The thunderstorm of which these mine were an accompaniment resulted in a good tail the plain over. We are permitted to take from a privato letter written by Mr R. \V. Gletnliuniug the following lively account of what took place at Tuierisido that afternoon: •' We had a shower here yesterday afternoon of rather h wetting nature, which you will readily understand when I tell you that l.'O points fell in about tho space of an hour. As you know, an ordinarily heavy rain runs about 10 points an hour, so please imagine 15 heavy showers all falling at once. I was out in most of it, aud every drop felt as if it went to the skin. Of course it was a regular cloud-burst or waterspout, and only fell on a limited urea—say, two or three miles square. Every gully ran a banker, and boulders were cent rolling alon<r with tho force of the torrents. Fences of course suffered mo«t damage, and in many instances were laid flat where tbey crossed gullies. A stream as big as the Tuicri generally is, ran through my farm yard, carrying posts, kerosene tins tiuilwr. &a, with it. Iliad to look out or I would have lost some of my property. I was wading about up to my knees rescuing first one tbing and then another. Iliad a stack of bales of wool on a raised platform, but tho water roue till some of the bales woro six inches dwp in water. Tho chicken yard was entirely under water, and some five or -is chickens were drowned. Tho iest eat up on boxes, scrub, bushes, kc. In the garden we lad large rivers running down tho gullies at either side of tho house, currant bushes were torn up by the roots and others laid Hat or covered over with silt and lUbru. So far as I know nsycl no sheep perished. At Kokonga the gardens of Messrs Stewart And Cunningham wore greatly damaged."