ALARMING RAIN-STORMS IN VICTORIA.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 91, 6 April 1876, Page 6

ALARMING RAIN-STORMS IN VICTORIA.

The fierce heat which raged throughout* Victoria tor weeks past was succeeded by a heavy rain-storm throughout the country on. the 2Gthult.

In Melbourne the change took place suddenly. There had been a hot wind blowing all the morning, and in the afternoon the slry became densely clouded till about 4 o'clock, when the rain descended in perfect sheets, and continued to fall for over an hour. The channels on each side of the principal streets of Melbourne .were in a few minutes flooded to overflowing, and at the height ofthe storm the lower portions of Elizabeth and Swanston-streets were impassable to pedestrians. As usual in Elizabeth-street on such occasions, the shopkeepers were busily engaged in trying* to keep the floodwater out of their shops and cellars, with about the ordinary amount of success. The lower part of the Treasury Gardens was submerged, and the Richmond-road, by the Fitzroy Gardens, was also under water.

Maryborough on the same day was visited by " an astonishing fall of rain» accompanied Ly a sharp and short thunder-storm." At about three p.m. a vivid electric discharge took place*, in :' stantly followed by a deafening peal of thunder. The rain immediately descended in a perfest sheet of water, and continued without interruption for half-an-hour, while at intervals such thunder and lightning were heard and seen as are only as a rule experienced in tropical countries. In the space of 15 minutes the water was running down the principal streets in torrents, and very soon High-street was -a sheet of rushing water; while the residents near the Catholic Chapel, who we're inundated with the rushing water froni the hilly country beyond, thought that the Maryborough Reservoir had burst its banks, and began to look for places of safety. The rush was sd sudden and so great that the main drain, 10ft deep and 15ft wide, could not carry off the storm water, but overflowed its banks in Prince's Park. The storm lasted only lialf-nn-hour. Nothing. like it has beeii seen for 20 years. Maldon was visited by one of th 6 severest thunder-storms ever experienced by the oldest inhabitant. Every cellar was filled in a few minutes, and water came into many shops which have always been above all former floodmarks, and the flags on the footpaths were torn up and ' carried away. ' In many places large heaps of- road-metal were swept away. /The water made its- way into every room in' the Royal Hotel.

The ( Tarrengower Times ' office has the appearance of a perfect wreck, the water being so high as to cover the imposing-tables. The storm lasted about an hour, and, has done an immense amount of damage. The bridge on the Castle-ulain;-road lias been washed away, arid tbe road stiwn with the general wreck. 'SeVeral "children had narrow escapes, but fortunately no lives were lost. ' ' .". . . At Castlemain'e "a terrific storm occurred. All the lower part of the town was flooded, and much' 'dam age 'was done. The Barker's Creek and Camp- . bell's Creek, rriain i*oans %er6 much injured. A worn an nana ed Cooper, wife of ; Gedrgs Cooper, contractor, was drowned tfear Chewton. There, are rumours of ' other, fatal c&s^ialti'es at Fryerstown and. the Loddon. The storm lasted three hours. .^At Ballarat 'a; thunderstorm, ac- " companied by a tremendous fall of rain, ' passed over the district. ; Ih some^*s>| 'the streets the. water roseto; the windovfc* \ sills ; .and" wet all the furhitiire, and — * several people who never before knew the water to ris.e hear their' doorsteps had it oyer their' floors, and had. to send for conveyances to remove to dry places for the night. ; The* 1 streets have ..been \much cut.up with the water also. Tie rainfall in about forty minutes was PBZin,