WATERS RECEDING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16580, 22 February 1928, Page 7

WATERS RECEDING

AUSTRALIAN FLOODS WORST DANGER PAST BELATED REPORTS OF DAMAGE ■ Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Assn.i (Received Feb. 22, 10 a.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 21. The rain has eased off and the weather is fine, with the exception of the northern districts, where it is still unsettled and showery. The floods are receding, and the worst danger is past, excepting where large bodies of water from the upper reaches have still to be reckoned with. The railways arc being rapidly restored. Grafton estimates the damage along the Clarence Valley and adjoining districts at £750,000, including £350,000 for maize jerops and, £IO,OOO for the sugar cane crop. The Mayor is applying to the Government to assist in repairing the losses. The streets are still flooded and are full of debris. Business is practically at a standstill. People are busy cleaning up and repairing the damage. A child died, and the town burial ground was cut off by floods, and the body and mourners had to be conveyed to the graveyard jn boats. Heavy losses of pigs a d cattle are reported throughout the district. In many places in the flooded areas families were cut off and had to live on short rations till rescued. Some are still marooned, and on starvation rations. ,Many stories of narrow escapes and severe hardships have been received.

The Bogan river invaded Nyngan, and wide areas are under water. A number of families are marooned. Relief boats have been sent from Sydney.

Mr. Bavin issued instructions to the authorities to meet all urgent claims, and to do their utmost to mitigate any' suffering caused by the floods.

Belated reports of the floods in the Tweed river show that the whole valley is deeply inundated. Townships are isolated and residents are suffering badly for want of food, supplies of which have been cut off for days.

Houses in Murwillumbah were flooded half-way up the walls, and some even have only the roofs showing. The rainfall since the first of the month has been 34in. Throughout the week-end residents rowed about the streets in swimming Costumes rescuing property. The latest report. states that the waters are receding. Graziers and farmers in ' the Riverina district state that enormous benefit will result from the rains. The only interest that has suffered has been grape growing, the berries being caught at the ripening stage. The autumn should be the best experienced, for many years. Lower Riverina stock has been removed to home, pastures, as there is now an abundance of grass in the districts which were grassless for two or more years.

RELIEF IN QUEENSLAND FEARS NOW ALLAYED (Received Feb. 22, 10 a.m.) BRISBANE, Feb. 21. Fears of a flood in the Brisbane river are allayed, and the water is. now falling. The Albert and Logan rivers are in the highest floods for years. Serious damage has been caused to the railway and the services are badly dislocated in various places by floods and washaways. At Maryborough, the river invaded the towiu The suburbs are isblated and the wharves are submerged.