THE BOURKE FLOODS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Melbourne, April 22.

Otago Witness, Issue 1891, 1 May 1890, Page 13

THE BOURKE FLOODS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Melbourne, April 22.

11 Telemaohua," of the Argus, who has gone to Bourke to describe the situation there, enables us to realise the singular condition of things which now exists in that inland town, round and about and through whioh a mighty river at least 20 miles wide is now flowing, with every prospect of continuing to flow for weeks. I explained last week how the rivers which run hundreds, almost thousands of miles, into the interior were pouring their floods on to the Riverioa plains, how the Bourke townspeople had warnings for some weeks beforehand ; and how they had set to work, partly with Government aid, to wall in their town with a vast embankment, some four miles in length. " Telemachus," when he reached Bourke last Thursday night, could not get nearer the town by rail than about seven miles, and had to do the rest of the journey on a trolly. This is his description of the journey: — "The water is all around— a great smooth, shining sea, dotted with clumps of bushes. The sun is right down, and the course is due north. All to the left i« orange tawny sky and foliage, and water, everything reflected and still. All to the right is deepest indigo, everything still also— a weird effect. Overhead fly tens of thousands of great dragon flies, and tens of millions of gnats, and on and on through the weird water we plough our tedious way. It seems harmless enough for a while, but then we come to a broad underway left in the embankment, and to and through and away from that flows a torrent from five to eight feet- deep Another and another of these, in all at least half a mile of them, of water flowing eight miles an hour, and on an average 7ft deep. They would be a mighty river in themselves, but they make up but one • get away' for the Darling, which now menaces Bourke in a dozen other places. The railway authorities have now cut away the embankment, so that the waters may not press so heavily against it." The dam wall around the town was found lined with workers, navvies gathered from all parts of the colony, many from Sydney, others from Bafchurst, and so on. The dam is built now about 20ft broad on the base, and from 4ft to 6ft wide ou the top. It is sheathed ou the ianer side with galvanised iron, or bound with bushes. You stand on the top, and the water is there close to your feet, not 4in from the summit, and rising, always rising. You look jasfc across it in the darkness, and it is like a look across the breast of a great lake. Miles away the stars are reflected, miles away it really extends. In places ifc is 9ft deep on the inner side of the embankment — 9ft deep and miles in breadth, and banked up right over against the town. The average is nob perhaps more than 4ft, but in places it is really 9ft, and down in the trench below and up on the bank above tho volunteers and paid men work. All along the four miles you see them passing from gang to gang. Mr Fitzmaurice, of the New South Walee Electrical department, has just got his dynamo into working order, and eight arc lamps throw a brilliant light over the whole strange soene. Travellers coming in from the Culgoa, making a very long way round, speak still of immense bodies of water coming down, and give most deplorable accounts of the losses of stock. Discounting them as liberally as possible, it seems

certain that the losses will run into hundreds of thousands, and so far it is not by any means sure that the full tale has been told of the loss of human life. Every now and then an alarm was rung out on the fire and church bells. This meant that a leak bad been discovered. The water had soaked its way through the loose earth. The water for over a mile long was flowing level with the top of the bank. The alarm called all hands — the navvies who could be spared from other parts, men from shops and houses, all the spare men of the place — to the weak spot. The bank was soon literally swarming with men with spades, who piled earth upon earth till all was safe again. This was no infrequent scene till on Friday afternoon about half-past 4 the embankment gave way beyond hope of repair. The waters had risen 3|in during Thursday night and went on steadily rising. " Telemachus " thus describes the disaster :— This afternoon, at about 2 o'olock, I made, with Mr Willis, M.L.A., a sort of royal procession about the ramparts. The popular member was loudly entered all along the line. We saw the enemy right before us leagues broad, cold, cruel, gleaming, but still there were 500 men busy, as many more resting, and 250 coming up by the afternoon train. We did not doubt that the works and the town might be saved. We returned to the hotel, where Mr Willis was again besieged by half a dozen frightened women, who imagined, and only too truly, that they were about to be swamped out. Their cases had been disposed of, and we were sitting quiet, pensive, and hopeful, when far away I fancied I heard the tolling of a bell. I was not sure, and listened intently. In another minute out burst the alarm of the town, and with no mistakable sound. In another instant a horseman dashed round tha street corner, shouting •• Clear out, clear out ; it is all over." Then began a scene such as is witnessed but rarely, even in an adventurous lifetime. Women rushed out of all the little low-lying cottages, their children in their arms, shrieking, yelling, and praying Men rushed about rather in confusion than with any well-defined intent. " Get the women and children to the boat " was the cry. The Sturt lay alongside the wharf, 6ft above the level of the street, and towards her a multitude of helpless people were hurried. Every bell in the township rang, and everybody seemed panicstricken, when suddenly a shout was raised that it might not be all lost, and there was a sudden rush towards the breach. Tarpaulins and tents would be wanted, and every store in the town was instantly raided for tarpaulins, tents, bags, and sheets of galvanised iron. Every cart, coach, buggy, and dray was pressed into the service, and away all hurried pell-mell across the flat. Hundreds of men were returning in despair. These the advancing army charged with shouts of contempt. I, with Mr Willis and half a dozen others, jumped into a baker's cart and galloped wil ily out. We were abreast of the breach in five minutes, and saw in an instant that the battle was hopelessly lost. The waters were pouring ra 30ft wide and 6f fc deep. The breach had been made while the men were taking a brief smoke. Yefc the gallant defenders were not to be dannted Into the water dashed Mr Waddell, the senior member for the district, and staggered along, neck deep, to the bank. A hundred others followed him, carrying bags and tarpaulins, and they instantly set to work with all the energy of despair. It was, however, but stemming a stream with sand. Foot by foot the bank on which they stood crumbled beneath them, and though others followed on pluckily as ever, it waß a forlorn hope for the rampart defending party. It was soon evident that the dam and the town were doomed. It was 20 minutes past 4 when the water broke through, and by 5 o'clock the few defenders were making their way back through the flanks of the flood, and the waters were half way across to the town. Then began another wild and unnecessary stampede. A dozen men on hot and furious horses rode wildly to and fro, quite unnecessarily, alarming the women and the children. The wall had given way abreast of a very considerable rise on the flat. It was immediately opposite the hospital, and the flood for many minutes only crept townward. It was deemed well, however, to make all haste, and to stir the folks up still further. The bells were once more ringing. It was quite unnecessary, for the agony was by this time intense. Poor creatures, with their babes, were hurrying along, some carrying bags and bundles, and various odds and ends of household gear ; others weeping and wailing, and deploring their most unfortunate lot. A boat load was ready by sundown, women and children chiefly, and all, of course, crying. She cast off just as the sun set, and steamed out into mid-stream, one of those ordinary little high-decked river boats standing right above the level of the town, and steaming very slowing against the strong stream. It was a wonderful picture, such as Australia never, perhaps, saw before. They were most of them leaving every stick they possessed behind them. They had deemed themselves lucky to escape by the skin of their teeth, and to obtain dry camping gronnds till the waters should subside again The little boat, with its full and high deck-load of figures in all imaginable colours — blue, red, and pink — streaming out, went away up the illimitable waters, which again began to reflect the orange of the sky, and another party mustered about the pier. About 140 houses are deserted, and will be left with the water streaming through their doors and window!? for months to come. But as it slowly began to be understood that the waters would not oome on with any sudden onslaught, the people recovered themselvep, and began to make preparations for the recovery of their goods. All Friday night and Saturday the water cor - tinued to rise. Sunday morning saw a rise of 3iu during the night. The night succeeding the break was a wild one. Hundreds of men were at work endeavouring to save their property, sinking trenches, building up embankments, and driving stakes for coffer dams. The mosquitoes were thick, and they seemed almost to increase with the rising of the water. Lots of people were so determined to keep themselves from dying of sorrow, that they would not give others any opportunity of sleep. A party at a store wera drinking healths and giving cheers all night long. All the time goats, and dogs, and cats were drowning, and bleating, and howling. The police boat had kept up a diligent patrol all night, and some 14 worn'en and 20 children were rescued from oofctages nearly filled with water.

The women and children were taken by boat to North Bourke, which lies about three miles and a-half up tho stream. Ifc is high sandy ground, lightly timbered, and is safe against any possible rise of the waters. About 700 women and children are camped there now, and, bo far, are fairly well supplied with food. The buildings of (he town are showing signs of subsidence. Tat.tersall's Hotel is going fast. The water is up to the windowsills of the Great Western. Tho Oxford, a very fine hotel, is off the plumb. The banks have bricked up their doors. The writer adds the following incidents: — " The baker, who has been a very violent warrior all through, mounted a tall horse and rode through the water along all the streets of the town, calling on one and all to stand to their guns, to fight it out like true Englishmen, inferior to the ancient specimens in Gami-el-Hakim, Many of the designs are pretty and

quaint ; but the workmanship is poor. To the English taste, with its notions of solidity and strength, modem Arab work looks woak. Fittings, hinges, springs, locks, connections— all exhibit bad workmanship. If one purchases any article it must be strengthened by an English workman before it becomes serviceable. These remarks apply more to articles of gold and silver ; less to brass, which is a specialty here. On the whole, a visit to Gami-el-Hakim will prove a corrective to a somewhat popular and common idea that the Arabs from an industrial and artistic standpoint have been ever rather inferior. That is not true, as specimens of architecture can testify, and as the treasures of Gami-el-Hakim can prove.