TORRENTIAL RAIN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 14 January 1936, Page 5

TORRENTIAL RAIN

CYCLONE IN WEST AUSTRALIA FRAZIER DOWNS DEVASTATED DAMAGE IN OTHER TARTS (United Press Association—By Electria Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 14th January, 11.40 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. News has been received of' devastation caused by a cyclone which struck Frazier Downs, Western Australia, some days ago. It is estimated that 15 inches of rain fell. All outbuildings, windmills and fences were demolished. For a width of five miles all trees were blown out of the ground and snapped off or completely combed of foliage. Steel telegraph’ poles were ' blown flat or broken off. The service was only restored by using forked sticks to keep the wires out of the water. Very heavy rain has fallen in parts of Queensland. The Leichhardt river reached the highest level for thirty years. Two men were treed in tire centre of the current near Mount Isa. A constable and storekeeper swam out to them, hot as they could not swim the marooned men decided to remain in the tree until the waters subsided. Steady rain over New South Wales assures the farmers a splendid season. The rain, however, caused heavy damage in some districts. Lit-hgow experienced violent thunder storms, resulting in many houses being flooded. Hundreds of rare books and war records, some of them irreplaceable, v.ere damaged when flood waters swept into the new war memorial during Sunday night’s cloudburst at Canberra.