FAMILIES ON HOUSETOPS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12657, 27 January 1910, Page 2

FAMILIES ON HOUSETOPS.

INCALCULABLE DEVASTATION. \ TA\MWORTH, Saturday. ■ . A record flood has occurred in Tam- i worth, causing great' devastation. Up; ■, to 10 o'clock last night the river had ■ steadily risen from ,3 a.m. , It was ._ hoped, however, that the worst had < passed, particularly as a Teport of heavy , rain and rising water at ■ bundle and i thereabouts was officially .stated to be ( exaggerated. If it had not been ( contradicted much damage might have been saved, as it caused • people to rely ' ppon a false supposition, and they con- ; sequently neglected to make the provi- ; sion necessary to ensure them. against ] what had proved to be a record flood. 1 &me, fortunately, elevated their goods to the highest water mark of the flood i in*j-March; 1908, and' when the worst „; .was imminent ' they saved much by plac : Frig it still higher. The majority of \ people were content to retire with at ; least the hope that the worst was over, , and business people ,in the main street i Were falsely lulled into insensibility re- ; vgajrding v the true position, becanse' the < river showed no appearance of a voluminous swell. The .'police boat was got ready in case of emergency, but even , that was left at a comer of a street, ■ ■tind came to be regarded more as an ex. hibit than a useful factor. It was argued that whateven water came along it could not produce a great rise in a body of , Water already a mile wide. Then again, it had come along steadily, unlike the flood of 1908, which was caused by a terrific rush from all quarters, with its vortex in Tamworth. •■ < UNDREAMED DAJSTGER. Between 3 and 4 o'clock, however, the scene began to change. A steady swell was noticeable, which, as time went on, grew more rapidly, and at daylight it was quite evident that there was, far r more danger than was dreamt of. The rainfall on the catchment area had commenced to produce its real effects. It continued to surge over the banks of the river. From ihe neighborhood of Nemingha "Flat reports of firearms were heard, giving signals of distress, which showed that they were experiencing what Tamworth would experience a quarter of an hour later. All the people in the R>wlying portions of the town managed tp get to higher ground, but their houses and belongings are practically wrecks. By 11 o'clock the water was at its thighest. Paradise Gardens .were under water, and at Paradise bridge, which was built by the Government, high enough supposedly tb surmount any-pos-sible flood,- the water was running over the decking. What' is locally Icnown as China Town was unrecognisable, the water reaching the eaves of the houses.. From this point, a magnificent view of Peel street was obtainable. It was one straight sheet of water, five -feet deep, for two iniles, with the street trees on either side forming an avenue of strangely fascinating appearance. lhe damage in the flooded districts is enormous, and impossible of description. Houses have been swept away, agricultural products have entirely vanished, stock have succumbed, and business people have been surely smitten just as they bad recovered from their previous -loss. The havoc wrought on the' farms must be great, while the damage to the streets and waterways of the municipality will mean the loss of thousands of pounds. Many families at Neminghacan be seen taking refuge on the roofs * of their houses. Tlie family of Mr T. O'Brien are on a shed, their hourse-hav-ing been turned partly round. One house in Peel street, near the viaduct, has been carried bodily away, while •some of them are completely covered. Two men, apparently Chinamen, were .-. seen astride a log in the middle of the stream about noon,' and when last seen were still upright. It Ls not yet known whether any loss of life has occurred^ but it is reported that a whole, family who were on their house early this morning have disappeared, house and all. ' ; : , During the afternoon the waters receded 4ft, giving an opportunity for a : cursory view of the damage wrought in : the main thoroughfare and thereabouts. . Immense logs are lying in Peel street, < and to make matters worse the electric* 1 light works, which av© controlled by the ■ Council, Have been under 'water all day, ' and there is little hope of illumination ' from that quarter. The gas is complete-* - 1 Jy cut off from the business quarter.. 'J .The. telegraph office is without light, except that of candles. . j