STORMS IN VICTORIA.

Evening Star, Issue 3112, 8 February 1873, Page 2

STORMS IN VICTORIA.

Sandhurst,

(From the Bendigo Advertiser.)

On Sunday morning, from an early hour, gusts of wind swept great clouds of dust over Sandhurst, and many persons preferred to remain indoors to encountering the disagreeable weather outside. Shortly after four o’clock the long-threatened storm broke over the city with considerable violence, and a sudden deluge of rain, accompanied by loud thunder, vivid Hashes of 4'ghtning, and a stiff gale, poured down on the town. In a surprisingly short space of time the streets were flooded, and in many places quite impassable, and considerable damage was done in a few minutes’ time. A tremendous torrent of water flowed down Mitchell and Williamson streets, meeting near the Beehive, and this water poured down the large cellar under Mr Meader’s Mining Exchange hotel, which, in less than fifteen minutes, was full and overfl >wing. This cellar will hold some 35,000 gallons of water, and there were in it at the time of this occurrence some L 1,500 worth of property, a considerable portion of which, of course, is hopelessly damaged. The cellar, indeed, at once was a perfect wreck, stillions, cases, bins, barrels, and bottles being seen floating about, and although Mr Meader at once put on six men with pumps to pump out the water, it was after eleven o’clock before the cellar had been pumped dry. Mr Meader estimates his loss at several hundred pounds, but he cannot, of course, yet say the total extent of the damage done Mr Buick, next door, had soma pieces of cloth inj ired by the wat r coming in from the street to his shop. The contents of the cellar under the Victoria Hotel were saved from destruction by means of a large tarpaulin whiuh was thrown over the cellar grating, and the water thus kept back. Mr Kobo* than, Hill and Miller, the hatters, and some few others higher up the street, sustained injury to their property. Lower down, Mrs Robinson, of the Britannia Hotel, had her cellar inundated, and the place was soon a perfect wreck. A good deal of damage was done to her goods. The Commercial Hotel was slightly visited by the flood, but Mr Lloyd, of the Freemasons, did not escape so easily. When the rain began, he went down, with two others, to the cellar, and was taking a survey of thing? there whan the water in an instant poured down in great volume through the gratings, ami he had to force his way as best he could through the torrent to the surface with the other im n, the three of whom were very glad to escape with their lives. The damage occasioned to Mr Lloyd’s goods is considerable. The cellar is a large and roomy one, and there were goods in it to the value of LSOO when the deluge began. In 10' minutes the wine cases, beer barrels, and spirit tins were swimming about in 70 tons of water. The damage sustained cannot yet be computed, as Mr Lloyd did not take any measures to empty the place last night. In the flood at the time of the races, last year, Mr Hadley lost over LI 0 worth of goods in the same place, and in the same way. The violence of the storm abated soon after five o’clock, but the Water still continued threatening, and tome heavy showers fell through the night.