RAGING TORRENTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19767, 15 February 1927, Page 7

RAGING TORRENTS

TERRIBLE FLOODS IN NORTHERN QUEENSLAND COUNTRYSIDE DEVASTATED LOSS OF LIFE AND HEAVY DAMAGE Cyclonic storms of unparalleled force have caused havoc in Northern Queensland. Miles of country has been devastated by the flooded rivers and towns are under water. Several lives have already been lost, and it is believed that the death-roll will be a long one. The damage to property is enormous, and stock h-ivs perished by the thousand. [By Telegraph—Per Press Assn.—Copyright.y

RIVERS RISE RAPIDLY MANY HOUSES WASHED AWAY. 6HOETAGE OF FOOD FEARED. Received Feb. 14. 8.50 p.m. BRISBANE, Feb. 14. Floods continue unabated in Northern Queensland. Seventeen are known to have perished, others are missing. I: is expected tad the death roll will be largely increased. The postmaster at Ingham says several houses were washed bodily away. In one of these three men were carried three days before they were rescued. The water in the main street of Ing ham is six feet deep, and the damage is estimated at not less than £lOO,OOO. A food shortage is feared and supplies are being rationed. The main streets of Cairns are several feet under water. Tremendous seas are running, and there are great quantities of timber afloat miles out at sea. The cyclone at Ingham was accompanied by the highest flood in the history of the Herbert River. It swept the district for 48 hours commencing on Wednesday night, when practically tne whole of the district was submerged, and resulted in appalling loss of life and damage to property, crops, and heavy loss of live stock. Nearly ten inches of rain fell on Wednesday night, and the same rainfall was reported at Herbert, which is at the base of the Herbert River. Hundreds Trapped. The water came down in a raging torrent, trapping hundreds of people in the low-lying parts. By Friday morning the flood reached its apex, and was three feet higher than the record flood of 1894. Although communication with the Outside districts is still considerably interrupted, it is known that at Ripple Creek a house containing 17 Italians was swept away, of whom only two were saved. The damage to property ha** been immense, and at Ingham boats are plying all night rescuing families who have been marooned and supplying food to some people who have been living on the house tops for three days without food. Hundreds of horses and cattle were seen swimming about in the waters for hours before being drowned. The whole

district is littered with carcases. Halifax is still isolated, but it is believed that this centre suffered heavily owing to the sudden rise of the Herbert Biver.

Torrential rain again deluged Cairns on Saturday night, causing a further extension of the damage. Cane Lands Ruined. At Homchill the water from the Burdekin River rose at the phenomenal rate of 10ft in an hour and a-half. It was 3| feet over the railway line at Inkerman railway bridge. Throughout Saturday night it continued to rise, and then in the early hour the alarm whistle at the powerhouse announced that it had broken its banks. At daylight the river was rushing in an angry stream and flooded many hundreds of acres of cane lands. A little' later the water was 21ft. over the rails at Inkerman bridge and was rushing through the town in an angry torrent. The Acting-Premier has received a report that at least 150,000 tons of the estimated crop of GOO,OOO tons of sugar cane have been destroyed. Though the river reached a record height at Charters Towers, no alarm is felt owing to the enormous area of country over which the water may spread between the town and Bowen. The Air Force has offered to send seaplanes from Bowen if necessary. The river at Charters Towers has risen to the record height of 65ft. At places the river is a mile wide and considerable anxiety is felt for the towns of Sellhcim and Macrossan. At the latter place all the residents and their belongings have been removed to high ground, but the river is now 79ft. over the summer level, and is still rising. A remarkable feature in this area is that although the river is at a record height, only two inches of rain have fallen. Anxious Tinies for Seamen. Much anxiety is also felt for the residents of Ayr and Homchill as the flood waters will not reach the maximum in these districts until Monday morning. A train is being held in readiness to rescue residents. At Bcamsidc whole families were wiped out and the coastal steamer Innisfail and several launches carrying fishing parties are missing. The Gulf steamer Kallatina was caught in the cyclone and lifted on to the reef by the wind, which flung open ihe portholes letting in the water. Lifebelts were served out to passengers, but the steamer later got off the reef and reached port safely.