DISASTROUS FLOODS IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2195, 20 May 1870, Page 2

DISASTROUS FLOODS IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Disastrous Flood at Denman’ and Loss ok Seven Lives. [From a Correspondent of the Jfaitlan l JFp-aop.) I feel it my duty to write and let you know the fearful effect the late rain has caused in Denman, as I can safely say. from what I have hoard from the oldest resident in Denman, that it has exceeded any’ previous Hood hero by at least Hve feet. It c nnmcnccd to rain here on Thursday’ night, and the river commenced to rise on Friday morning, and continued rising nutil it became a banker on Saturday evening, and was still rising, heavy ra : n falling all the time. By Sunday at one o’clock it was 33 feet above its usual level, and iron, then until two o'clock it rose at the almost incredible rate of seven feet in cue hour, being at two o’clock 40 feet above its usual level, which took every’ one so much by’ surprise that they had not time to do anything for themselves ; but owing to the exertions of Messrs S. and W. Clark, Clifford, and Carver, in the boat, they’ were able to rescue several families from drowning. At this time it was about I feet in Mr Clark’s Fitzroy Hotel, which is one of the highest houses in Denman, and about fifty Hooded-out people staying here, I am very sorry to have to report that a Mr Ryan, wife, and family, and a Mrs Greenwood, who had left their houses and gone to the stable loft out of the reach of the water, were washed away with the stable, and only Mr Ry’an and a little girl were saved. Mrs Ryan and four of the children, with Mrs Greenwood, were drowned. Ryan, with the little girl, happened to he able to reach a tree, and olimb i -to the branches, where hq remained for a couple of hours, until'lie was rescued by’ Carver and Charles Clifford in a boat. There was not one house in Denham that was not Hooded ; in fact, with few exceptions, all of them were under water. Cattle were coming down the river in droves. The water was about 4 feet high for miles around.