THE FLOODS IN QUEENSLAND AND NEW SOUTH WALES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1478, 9 February 1887, Page 2

THE FLOODS IN QUEENSLAND AND NEW SOUTH WALES

Nqwb received via Melbourne, under date February 3, states that a vast amount of damage was done m Queensland by the heavy downpour of the previous week. In Brisbane itself no lesa than 18£ inohei of rain, fell m 24 hours. There wore very heavy flooda m Southern Queensland Reporte (unconfirmed) state that at Newing Greek twenty-elx people were drowned. At Beaudeserfc sixteen persons were drowned, including four children, A large number of stock hat also been lost. At Woodend, at the end of the Olarence river, a whole family, named Ivens, composing the father, mother <*n<3 three ohildren, trere drowned. In the northern dUtriots of New South Wales, also m the neighborhood of the Olareuoa river, the downpour of rain was tremendous, and| Graftou on the Clarence was completely flooded out; The waters attained the greatest height that has ever been known. Enormous losses of property have been sustained, bub, eo^far, only two livea are known to have been lost. Hundreds of people were flooded out, and the destruction of furniture, etc., is considerable. The waters came rushing down m a mighty torrent, sweeping j everything before them, levelling fences, tearing up trees, rushing away small tenements and outbuildings, and bursting over the river banks at points never previously reached. Mr Henry Stoele, the District Court bailiff at Goulburn, was drowned yesterday while attimptlng to oroBS the river at Ourang m a buggy. Fully forty or fifty boats were engaged m rescuing those who were hemmed m by the fbod waters, a.pd hot for the vlgoious efforts m,ade large numbers of people would undoubtedly have lost the'r lives. Many were on the point of succumbing when taken out of their houses. A half caßte was drowned m trying to oross one ef the streets m Graf ion on the day after the flood. The waters slowly receded, and everything Is now left oovered with mud. Some houses whioh wore swept away from Sooth Grafton were found three miles farther down tha river. The losses of the storekeepers In South Grafton fc'one are estimated at £10.000.