TOWN SWEPT

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 44, 21 January 1926, Page 10

TOWN SWEPT

RUSH OF FLOOD WATERS. GREAT DAMAGE AT JUNEE. SYDNEY, Jan. 7. Information about the storm in the Junee district indicates that the damage was ■ very heavy. In many parts of tho district farmers were not able «till this morning to get through their paddocks to investigate. Now they see that hundreds of miles of fencing are down. On Millbank station ten inches of rain fell in an incredibly short time, and the Heffernan family say it appeared to them to come down in less than a quarter of an hour, like a fog, and when it hit the iron roofs bounded off in sprays and dense mist. At other times it was so heavy that no one could see for more than a few feet.

In some parts of the district horses and cattle are lying dead on the roads, having been drowned. Sheep appear to have escaped. Many visitors were in Junee at the time of the downpour and had to remain overnight. Telephone communication was stopped, and the bridge over Houlaghans’ Creek at Old Junee was three feet under water. When tho waters subsided nearly a foot of mud was left. Motorists were afraid to risk the crossing. Grainger’s garden and the Chinese gardens on the outskirts of the town were swept clean. A man named Williams had several hundred tobacco plants swept away. Junee Park was one sheet of water. FOUNDRY SWEPT CLEAN. When the owners went to a house where Miss O’Neill was surrounded by water the previous night they found all tho fences down and much damage to the inside of the place. The heaviest loser in tho town is Mr A. J. Walster, of the Pioneer Foundry. He had the work of 20 yours swept away. He is appealing to the people, if they find any of his patterns, tools or castings, to bring them back. His work lias been temporarily stopped, for mud covers tho valuable machinery. His loss is about £2OOO.

When the heavy rain stopped the sky became starry and clear, and tho electric lights reflecting in the water showed out for miles on all sides. Horses and cattle in tho town took refuge on the high ground away from the storm waters, and remained there till next day. £IOOO DAMAGE TO STREETS. The locality where the townspeople have been agitating for a subway was several feet under water. The Municipal Council had under offer a piece of land known as Foundry Flat for a rest park. This was under water to a depth of four feet. People who watched the rushing waters from an eminence state that they looked like breakers on the seaside. The Mayor (Alderman Harris) estimates that the damage to the streets will run into £IOOO, and an effort will be made to get a grant from the Government to repair the huge damage to the shire roads. Much work in course of construction was swept away. People living in the vicinity of Wantiool, about a mile from the severest part of the stonn, had only a few drops of rain.

SERIOUS RAIL WASHAWAYS. SYDNEY, Jan. 8. Farmers declare that the cloudburst which flooded tho ‘country between Juneo and Harofield was the worst storm ever experienced in the district. Wagga received very little rain.

Juneo was flooded, and walls of water rushed down Belmoro Hill, Lisgar and Cox streets, and the Broadway. ' Tho water was 8 to 10 feet deep in the streets. Tho caretaker’s cottage at Hill street crossing was washed away, fences were carried away, and shops and houses had water two to five feet deep in them. Wliat might have caused a railway disaster was tho washing away of the lines between Junee and Old Junee and Harefield and Junee. All trains were cancelled to the south-west and south of Junee. EXCITING EXPERIENCES. Passengers on tho Albury mail had some exciting experiences. After leaving Wagga and nearing Harefield the train was ploughing through water. A short distance out of Harefield on the Junee sido tho mail was pulled up -and the lino was so badly damaged that the train had to return to Wagga. Tho stationinaster at Wagga made arrangements with hotels near the station for passengers desiring accommodation at the railway’s expense. A quarter-mile of the railway line was washed away between Harefield and Junee. The water at this point was between 10 and 20 feet deep. Had this occurred at midnight, instead of 5-30 p.m., a great railway disaster would have occurred. With the water at such a depth few pussengers would have escaped.