AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8234, 11 September 1906, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

SB VT RE RAINSTORM IN MELBOURNE.

STREETS PARTIALLY SUB MERGED.

% FLOODS IN THE COUNTRY,

PEOPLE RESCUED IN BOATS. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DONE. Received September 10, 9.37 a.m. MELBOURNE, September IU. An exceptionally severe rainstorm was experienced in the city last night, many of the low-lying streets being partially submerged. The ,-Saltwater River afc Footacray flooded a wide area, and the police were busy all night rescuing people from houses. At an early hour this morning the river was still rising. Heavy floods also occurred afc Braybrook, Esaen'lon, Elsternwiob, and Brighton, ana destructive inundations are reported at Ballarat, Bendigo, Seymour,'; Kilmore, and many other places in the country. Great damage has been done to property and orops.

RESCUE BOATS KEPI BUSY.

FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE UNDER WATER. THOUSANDS OF SHEEP AND CATTLE DROWNED AT THE ABATTOIR. EXCITING EXPERIENCES. Received September 11, 12.24 a.m. MELBOURNE, September 10. The flood in the Saltwater River iß'the highest for forty years. The river oontinued to rise in the early part of the day, bat is now subsiding. No rain fell to-day, and the reports from "the various flooded districts show that the waters there are falling. Still, however, a lot of flood water has come down this morning. •The districts ground Footscray, Maribyrnong, Keneiugton, and Brunswick are a vast expanse of water. Some streets are raging torrents. Rescue boats were kept busy all night removing residents. Majiy houses were deeply submerged. Some were wrecked and swept away. The Flemington raceoourse is covered to a depth of six feet. It is feared.that the course will be extensively damaged. The training tracks have suffered considerably. At the abattoir stoukyards, yesterday, about £20,000 worth of sheep and oatt'.e were yarded. At daylight to-day a large portion of the yards, which are on tne banks of the Saltwater River, were submerged to a depth of ten feet. The lowest estimate of the losses is ten thousand sheep and two hundred and fifty cattle. Other estimates of the numbers drowned is much higher.

The losses of pigs, sheep and other stock from the farms along the river must also have been very large, judging from the number of carcases drifting down. The flood waters from the higher reaonea of the river ate now coming down, bringing vast quantities of trees, remains of crops, intermixed with drowned stock and oooasionally household effects. Two hundred and fifty sheep of a flook grazing on the Flemington Course were drowned.

All the glue works, bonemills and factories on the banks of the Saltwater River are submerged, and in eome oases have been swept away. * So far no loss of life is reported. A uumber of narrow escapes are reported. A woman, who on Saturday gave birth to twins, had an exciting experience. Her home was flooded, and the boat which had been brought to rescue her was swept away by the current. The constables wading up to their neoks in water seoured and carried the woman and infants for two miles through the water to safety. A lady and gentleman were crossing the Oampapse River in a buggy, and were swept away, but managed to reach a tree, aid remained there till the morning, when they were r*>soued.

Reports received oy ene Railway Department state that several country lines are badly affeoted by the floods. A VESSEL TOTALLY WRECKED Received September 10, 11.5 p.m. SYDNEY, September^lO. Advices have been received here of the wreck of tho American barque Maiy L. Cushling, which Lett Newcastle on June 27tb, with a cargo of coal for Magatlao, Mexico. After discharging cargo the vessel was driven ashore in a gale and totally wrecked.

CABLE NEWS.

By Telegraph—Press Asiociation—C jpyri^it,