THE FLOODS IN VICTORIA.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2021, 27 October 1869, Page 2

THE FLOODS IN VICTORIA.

From our Melbourne files we extract the following particulars of the recent disastrous floods : The storm, which fell with such fearful violence over the country districts, broke over Melbourne on the afternoon of Saturday, the ICth. Its effects were soon experienced. In a short space of time the streets of the city were flooded. The storekeepers in Elizabeth street had the stream almost to their door-steps at one period of the evening. At Heidelberg much property was destroyed. At Hawthorn the Yarra overflooded its banka about two feet. The north bank of the Yarra was completely obliterated at six o’clock in the evening, and the unbroken stream extended from the Pfahraii side almost to Swan street. Many persons left their premises altogether. Coming down to Princes Bridge the spectacle was presented of an almost unbroken sheet of water to Emerald Hill. The boat-houses were, of course, a foot or two deep in water. The Sandridge and St. Kilda roads were covered by the water at nightfall. The course of the Sandridge Road was indiscernible at ha'fpast six, except by the trees planted on each side towards Emerald Hill. The Melbourne and Hobson’s Bay Railway Company had their line at Jolimont above water at dusk. From what we can glean, the damage done from Heidelberg down to Melbourne, other-

wise than in the spoliation of pleasure gardens, may be estimated at about LISOO, not more.

Of the disasters occasioned in and around Ballarat by the rain-storm and flood of Saturday, we find the following narrative in the Post :— 41 We have had to-day the heaviest rain and most disastrous flood that has ever occurred on Ballarat. Yesterday (Friday) evening there was a change in the atmosphere, which foreboded a chan ,e in the weather, but nothing which would lead to the expectation of such a veritable deluge as has taken place. At about two o’clock this morning a heavy, continuous, warm rain set in, and at the time of this writing it had not at all perceptibly moderated. The consequence of this continuous rainfa l ! was the flooding out of all the low-lying and flat parts of the two Ballarats, and the destruction of a very largo amount of property. The damage done in the aggregate must have amounted to some thousands of pounds. Beginning with the far eastern portion of the town, we may come westward, and mention the more salient features of the catastrophe. " In consequence of the partial cessation of mining about the upper psrt of Clayton’s Hill, and the west side of Dalton’s bill the Plank road escaped a repetition of the flood of ’62, and the prin* ■ cipal damage done was to small gardens and the tenements of Chinese fossickers. From near the Bijou, late “'Charles Napier” Theatre, up to Barkly eflwt, there must have been a very sad destruction of property, as shops, hotels, and other places were completely washed through, and the rise in the water was so great that a great amount of stock was either damaged or completely carried away. The shops of Messrs Cohen, greengrocer, and Jackson, butcher, were flooded quite early in the morning; and later in the day some portions of the buildings were carried away by the current. In Bridge street, between its junction with Sturt street and Victoria street, a scene' was presented which has never been seen before. The beautiful premises of Mr LX Steinfeld, the mayor, ami all the other splendid shops on that side of the street were washed through by torrents of water, and from Mr Patterson’s butcher’s shop fine joints of meat floated out into the canal; whilst from the shop of Mr Wilmot, the ironmonger, even iron and tin articles were being carried away on the surface of the fierce wave. The market was turned for the nonce into a drain, and poured its torrents into the already inundated street, and try as they would, the shopkeepers on the south side of the street could not dam (in an efficient way) the fast-rising flood. The Yarrowee was higher than it has ever been since the bridge was built, but would have been higher still if the current had not been obstructed by the footbridge above the Alfred Hall and the hall itself. The water at this spot would have been a glorious, if it was not a calamitous sight. It came rolling and seething down in veritable torrents, and on its arrival at the point of obstruction it seethed, and boiled, and writhed, its pentup agony to flow away, carrying with it the strongest work of man as it would a rose-leaf and battered and splashed against the Alfred Hall as though it had a right to go in, and which it did in spite of all precautions, and when we left the spot the immense building itself was m imminent danger. Grenville street north was a river. The Yarrowee, dammed, as we have stated, rose over its banks, and flowed up-hill with the torrent across Sturt street, and so down to the lowlying portions of Dana and Grant street?. On White Flat, hack again as far as Peel street, in Wills street, there was a fearful destruction of property. From Peel street to the bridge at Grenville street all the houses oh the north side were flooded out, or their owner's suffered some serious loss by the destruction of their gardens and outhouses. All the newly-built culvert in Lydiard street was at least six feet under water, and at the lower or Lydiard street end the flood was at such a height that the top of a derrick used by the contractors for budding the new culvert, and which was placed on a bank, was only about two feet out of water. We may mention that at one time the water flowing against the Lydiard street embankment was so strong as to seriously endanger the' embankment,' an 4 some fears were entertained at one time for the safety of the Queen’s Head Hotel, and a portion of the railway embankment slid with a very threatening attitude of serious damage to t ! ie property in the follow. Measure’s were at mice taken to collect sub r script-ions for the relief of the sufferers in the Ballarat district. At a public meeting, Ll2O was subscribed, and the Municipal Council voted L2OO. The loss sustained at Ballarat does not fall short of -1.50,000. The heaviest losers are said to be Morris and Sleight, undertakers, L2OJ); Lang and Co,, nurserymen. Ll5O ; E. Wilmnt, L 351) ; Walker, confectioner, L 350 ; Benson, Market Hotel, L2OO ; Josephs, clothier, LSOO ; Jones, boot salesman, L6OO or L7OO ; Spielvogel, L 1,500 ; Barkerville, tobacconist, LI,000; Slmnan and Co., furniture dealers, Ll.ooo ; Steinfield, L 1,500. .Respecting the rumored fatalities, this is what the Uallnrat Mail says : —“ Vague rumors are circulating throughout the town, of men, women, and children hurried into eternity, but we earnestly hope that many of these rumors are but the outcome of the excitement consequent upon the danger to life. Bridge street is said t® have been the scene of loss of life to more than one person. A Mrs Benjamin is reported to have been drowned, whilst two children, another adult female, and four Chinese are alleged to have met their deaths by drowning. The flag was hoisted at half-mast high at Mr J. K. Baird’s, pointing to the fact of loss of life having taken place, but we could not obtain any particulars. Air Walker, confectioner, of Bridge street, also reports that his eldest son is not to be found, and he too is feared to have mot with his death.”

The Brndigo Ercning JTe.tos briefly reports as follows : —“The rain of Friday night has caused floods in several districts around Sandhurst. A considerable portion of the road in High street was submerged on Saturday morning, and almost impassable. There have also been extensive floods at Kangaroo the creek risen considerably more than haul* to the great downpour of rain during the whole forenoon, we understand that the Prince Alfred, Alii* ance, and Great Britain claims have been flooded. The miners working in the Prince Alfred were obliged to make their escape as expeditiously as possible.”