SEVERE FLOODS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24506, 15 January 1941, Page 8

SEVERE FLOODS

NEW SOUTH WALES RAILWAYS AND ROADS BLOCKED WIDESPREAD DISORGANISATION (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, Jan. 11. The long drought in New South Wales brcke with a vengeance, this week. The flooding of the rivers in central and north-western districts of the State disorganised rail and road services, damaged crops, destroyed homes, killed stock and isolated towns. An elderlv woman and her son were drowned. More heavy falls cf rain are expected and as huge volumes of water are rolling down its tributaries, the Darling river is certain to flood nexl week Woman and Son Drowned Mrs Marv Jane Cooper, 75, and Ronald Cooper. 30, cf Yeoval, were drowned when their home was inundated by a wall of water from the greatly swollen Sandy and Buckinbah creeks When the water, rushed mto the house Mr George Cooper. 78, lumped on to p. chair and held his wife in his arms. "Within Ave minutes the house started to move." Mr Ccoper said "and then the walls Still holding mv wife. T struggled out into the water My son could not swim and was swept away A big log floating on the flood struck me and I was forced to leave go my wife Mr Cooper's brown kelpie dog Maori broke her leash, and swam to safety, .carrying one of her voting nuns in her mouth. „ , ~ . .__ Many trains failed to reach their destination, and passengers had to make themselves as comfortable as possible in the carriages. The biggest delay was at Quirindi. on the main northern tine where a large three-span steel and concrete bridge collapsed. Six express trains with an aggregate of between 600 and 700 passengers were marooned. Seven large buses eventually transported the passengers on a .60miles detour to a special train waiting to lake them to Sydney Washaways occurred on many branch lines in the northern section of the western railway system, and trains could -only proceed behind gangs of railwayman who \tent ahead filling in washaways and ballasting the lines. Other services were completely suspended Homes Isolated Homes in low-lying areas were under water, and police had to use boats in a number of districts to rescue them One man spent a- whole night in a tree near Dubbo and the water was swirling around his feet when the police arrived in a boat Police at Wellington had to make three attempts to rescue a marooned family named Cavanagh consisting of husband wife, and three children. The children were standing on a table with the water surging; around them when the rescuers arrived! Many roads were made impassable, and motorists were warned not to travel on them. One motorist in the Walgett district took five days to travel i 73 milea.