FLOODS IN VICTORIA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13695, 11 September 1906, Page 5

FLOODS IN VICTORIA.

MUCH DAMAGE DOM-;,

Press Aisociation-By Telegraph-Copyright.

MELBOURNE, Scpiembei-,10.

(Received Kept, 10, at 9.7 a.ni.)

There was a phenomena) rjiinstorm in the' city last night, many of ? 'the-low-lying streets.being partly submerged. ; The Saltwater River at Footscray 'flooded UMvide area, tho police being' busy alt night rescuing people from their houses till an early hour this morning. The' river is still rising.

.There are heavy floods at Braybrobk, Esseflfdon, Elslermvick, and Brighton. Destructive immdntions are alsq reported from Ballarat, Bendigo, Seymour, Ki'lmore, and many places in the country, where great damage has been done to property and crops.' . .

"(Received Sept. 11, at 0.21 a.m.) • The lowest estimate places the losses '.tt 10,000 sheep and 250 cattle, but other estimates give .the numbers of drowned as much higher.* ' '-'■■'

The losses of pigs, sliecp, and other stock from forms along the river must also have been very large, judging'from the number of carcases drifting down. The flood waters from the higher reaches of the Yarra River tire now coining down bringing vast quantities,of trees, and the remains of crops intermixed with drowned stock, and occasionally, also household etlccts.

Two hundred ami fifty, sliecp of a (lock grazing on tho Flemington racecourse wore drowned. All the glue works; bone riiill», and factories on'the banks of the Saltwater. River are submerged, uiid.in some cases they have been swepfirivay. So far no loss of 'human life has* been reported, but there have been 1 a number of narrow escapes. \ A woman who on Saturday gave birth ti Jwins had an exciting experience, her home was Hooded, and she was rescued in « boat, which was, however, swept away by the current. Some constables, by wading up, to their necks secured- the woman, and carried her and her infants two miles through, ihc water to a. place of safetv. ' -

As a lady and gentleman were crossin™ tbeCamptispeEiver their buggy was swept away, but they managed to reach a tree where they remained until morning, when they were rescued.

Reports received by theliailway Donart"wit state that several of the country .lines nro badly affected l.y t he floods. iho Hood in the Saltwater River is the high"* or 40 yeari It continued to me in (be early part of the day, but i S now subsiding. ■' No rain fell to-day, and reports from tho various Hooded districts show that tins waters are falling. There is still however, a lot of flood water to* conic down.

Ibis morning the districts round Footscwy.Wanbyrnong, Kensington, and Brunswick, wero a vast expanse of water In -soiuo streets there were raging torrenta Rescue boats were kept busy all nicht removing tho residents. Many hot, wero deeply submerged. Some houses wore wrecked and swept away. Fleming ton racecourse was covered to a depth'of 6ft, and it is feared the course will bo extensively damaged. Tho training.tracks suftcrcd considerably.

The most disastrous effects wero'at'the abattoirs stockyards'. Yesterday about *20,000 worth of sheep and cattle wove' yarded. At dnylight to-day'a large portion „f the yards, which are on tlio banks of the Saltwater River, were submersed to a depth of 10ft. V