THE LATE FLOODS IN AUSTRALIA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XII, Issue 500, 15 August 1867, Page 1

THE LATE FLOODS IN AUSTRALIA.

THE BUERA.M'OXG C VT.VSTROPiIE, —CORO.NF.It s' IMJUKST. j I (From the Sydney .Morning Herald, July IJ.) ( j rui; following is a lull repoit of the inquest jon tlic holies of ill.' looker family eight in munb.T—mid Frederick Smi 1 1, who! were Unowned (hiring the flood at Burrau-! dong. The particulars of this case, us de-j tailed in the evidence given below, are of: ihe most melancholy and touching kind.j The inquiry was Isold before Mr If. B.j ■iuiton, at the Western I. .11, Burnindong,, oil the tilth Juno. As' ort account of the! inquest appeared in tho Herald a few nays! ago, but the more extended one, now pub-j lished, will place on record the suffering! endured by this unfortunate family, thej ..hristiau resignation which was displayed! by the parents as one by one (hey saw! their children perish ; and the heroism otj ilrs Smith, whose husband perished in 1111 s ineffectual atumpt to save the Bakers. [ Isaac IKitdel Baker, having been duly -worn slates; —1 have seen the bodies novvj lying here; I recognise them as tbo-o ofmy wife Mary Ann Baker, aged about Bii years ; and Daniel Baker, 111 years old;! lieury Sltadracli Baker, 11 years old;! Andrew William Baker, 'J years ; Charles) Frede:iek Baker, 7 years; John Isaac! Baker, 5 years ; Iheiuas Edwin Baker,! J years ; and Mary Aim Elizabeth Baker ! eight months old, my children ; 1 also) recognise the body of Frederick Ifmith. Ij am a s icpherd in tho employ of Messrs. Blunden. I lived near tiio Macquarie! river, near its junction with tile Mudgee! river; on tile clay of the 21st instant I was at home all day; when the siueoi c.unc home (my boys Daniel and HenrC Snadruch having been khepherding them, that day), about 5 o’clock pm., 1 went t . tiie bank of the Macquarie to see how lie,riier was, 1 saw it was ii.-i g. a here was' some high ground at tiie back ot thesluep; 1 ard, where I had made a gateway to Jet; the sheep out in case of a Hood, this wasj between my hut and the river. Wo put!. Line sheep in, and I went to supper, witnj' ail my family ; I told my eldest son Musts we would have to remain up ail night audi watch tiie flood ; after we had supper mv; Iwo children that are row alive went (o' see the lleoJ, and returned and toll me! that the water was coming very fast down! the gully ; the water was liom the river,l

and was from two to three hundred yarns! from llie hut. When 1 went out the de-| ceased Frederick Smith was cvm.ng to-! tvatds the hut to tender me assistance.! tie told me the water had risen si* feet in‘ die iludgcc river while lie was at supper,: nid asked me what i was g„-ing to do. f; 'Hid we must get the children out. \\Vl 'eut to the hut and 1 told my wife to gelj lie childroii ready, a. we have f is;, but there was suit dry around, in • until tin nniiutes from that time, when 1 went out a_ain, i fan.id that the water had entirety surrounded us. 1 said to the deceased FredericK truth h, “ fhe water h,.s snrrounoi-d us. wiiat wid you uq t” he said, '* Vv ell, 1 can’t swim, 1 must remain •a ith you at that lime there was no po»« sihility of escape. Wo tlien all w.-nt into lie hut, and 1 fastened the door. About twenty minutes alter the water began to come into the nut. 1 then put my wife ■«nd children ou the loft, over the bedroom, and I stood on the table. I was not afraid, 1 had hoped that the waUr would not rise much higher ; at this time Frederick Smith was sitting ou one of lilt

beams ot tnc lull. "When the water reached the table I got oif, and sat on another beam, In aoout three quarters of

- an Hour ttic water rose ro the top of the wall-plate, about six feet. 1 then got a tomahawk and cut a hole in the bark of the roof. 'The deceased Frederick Smith ! was the first to go out, I handed the chil- • clren out to him, and the rest followed ’.When I got out the. moon had just risen : and there was no land to be seen. 1 ilie;i. “ eooeyed,' 1 lor the first time. It wav iin A 9 o’clock p.m. ; we w. re all “ coocy ingvg and in .aeon: three-quarters of an hour; heard an answer, and thought it was from) Mrs Smith, wife of the deceased, Erode-1 rick .'smith. ■ thov lived about nue-third of a mile from my hut. The water, at tin's; time was about ten feet above the lloor o! the hut. A short time after this 1 beard! Mrs Smith call out, and usk me if Fred ! was all right, meaning her husband, ii called loudly for help, and told her to go to Mr Blundell’s for help, as wo weiej nearly dune ; she answered the call, a net j her husband then shouted and told her to j go to Mr Plundiui's for tin* boat ; w-g thought she understood ns. Her husband; then told us not to cooey any more, as sliej understood us. and it might bother her; some time after,getting frigid cued, as tin-) , water was rising fast, 1 eooeyed again and she answered ; 1 then was sure she ha 11 not gone to D.linden’s, i still kept c d-( ling, the water had ju-t reached the ri !ge l>ole on which wo were sitting, tiering no!

possibility of escape, 1 told the children lo pray, and we all joined in prayer. We were all composed bur one little boy, who was crying. The water still continued to ns?, and we had to stand oa the ridge) pole. About half-past th.’.-e n.m. the firs:) of the children tiled, Eiv-k-ii.-’;, seven years old, the water tlie.i .urig up to iii; middle ; lie was n<l <b v m ,1, he died ol; Cold, i was holding him 1. mv arm-, l>n; j the greater part of I is body was 1111.01 water. Just after this mv hoy IVioi, I. aged thirteen years, said God' Ahnight\ bless you all, i cannot stand it aii'tj longer,” 1 said, “ \ on can swim. Daniel - do you thi; k you can make to the tiver'h my boy Muses said, “ Tut her, he L too far gone.” i held Daniel till he was dead.j and then let him a.) I O Catch allot HIT ; the) (next 10 dm were John Is. ;c, ayed live! (years, and Thornes Ed, in, a.,\d' (hr.a| 'year.-; ili.-y were in the m ; , a ; ,.y so. j ■Moses, who said, I„i :.,t, inc.-e to.-i jcniidi’ea are dead, whut must 1 do now!-''; 1 1 said “ Moses, whih* you have strength | try and save yours If;” he said ‘‘Can't li help you 'i ’ I said “ No, my boy ;go toj the tree while you hare strength* so th.ii{ some one shall ive to toil tiu* tale.” He! -■aid ‘ batin-r, i heneve I shall he the on.lv 1 one saved and he idssed me and sdnie-i. and reached tine tr -e sat ly ; Iho tree was’

■ aoout twenty yards Irom th- iaii. i c ; IK-. 1 jtu Moses ami told. hi:u 1 1 i-i m ,t!ij l* w..Mill alive, and L woulu h Id h a-, ion 'm[thoru was life in her. tjutoe iimc afim | lids my wife died, and Iha her go. J tiien j went to take the baby Irom mv dn.u p,ter ( t eci.ia. She said “.No, father, you can't | hold it better than me, and ! cannot hold lit much louder." I then ki-s > I her and j went into the water, u-idug her to Imm nho baby as long a- cou.d, and limn to jSwiia tu wliore JK‘i* brother I due tree, and with the as-isianec of nn |sr>n -Uosls got on the limbs. A vcrvi ('hot; Lime slier I heard a s;.lusts, and l ploees said, “ Here is C. ciii.i.” Sue su m | juUt ior help ; i lie irtened Her on to s'rni.d jout; she di i, and eunc within amis deneth. My son rd.ses leaned over to eaten.' | dvr ;he m.smd uer the in-; time ; i could see her, but xier head was under water : : i Mild, My toon, Muses, no In he her ju-t then, and pu.ied her up the tree. When 1 hi: Imr u,i die };u;. : , 1 Had lie hopes of her, as 1 di 1 not think l me c mid sonn. flu-t before i hit the j mi, let in - tore, Andrew Wiili.i n died ; noou; iho same time tin J u v:,-r.i T'mde | i;e\ tannin, who Was Addin • Id i,re I

iuu Usic Tone nil you can, you niUM i try to slide for yoursell; can you swim ; Lie said, “ Ao, give um what direct ions j you can, I mieht have a chance,” and li did su. lie started to emne to the tree- 1 he came but a !m ! - w; v , when he sank i) about sunrise Mrs tSmitn, wife of the dr--ceased invdenek trnuih, emir in a boa!, and iViCaae.. my s.m ruo-es, mv ohm p( . ; Cecilia, and mys.if, the only sun ivorj from the nee, and look us to drv land. j tieorgo Moses llama*, having Leen dub' sworn, states ; lain the son of the lt-t witness, Isaac idtuiei Taker : on Friday! list, t!;0 21st instant, aln-ut o u'emek ! ■went don n to tae bank of loc liver and : saw it was rising Ids!.. 1 c ine hack ami

!tvl-J my fattier ine wat-r was ilow n_r u,,! ;tlie gully from ll*o liiv;' this was b .m, 1 water from the liver; \.e tiiiMi wei.t ami moved till? sheep l.eui one yard to a aijjlier ona ; .ii.-y \ve;e r;ii:r«aruj swept away, Abcm! thm tme a ma.i jj-*;’i:-rrederick Smith came to vend r us a tauoe; lltj mother v.as tuo c ..i. drcii ready, wturn wo »ik: p cure. iu Ufart wo found that the mw h.i.i risen•: suddenly, and limi tho e w.-s six fe.t ob wat.ci' iii the uu.iy. so it we were dosed in. \\ e then all went into the hut nndi closed tile door, the water soon came i:,,| and we all got on to t ic I a-die. and from there to the toft, and irom there througir a hole in (lie nn:i to the top ol' the ridgepole, being driven by ti.e water rising. 'V hiie 1 was on the ridge-pole uiv mother and six of my brothers died ; 1 tnink tliev all died ot cold, the Wale’’ being about no to their cLijjSj j hiring the lime we were on the top of the hut, me cloys, cats, and fowls were contiuaa Ij trying to get on us, they were swimming about; the cat ; scratched me (rung to get ou my head. Ij

1 swain lo the tree, leaving my lather, mv j Sister Oc;1m, the babv, and Frederic!,' (.Smith on the hut. A short time after I "readied the tree my father reached there, ! 1 helped him out. Mv sister then came, inot having tin* baby, 1 pulled her out on to the tree. I then saw Smith, and that die went down as soon as lie started. iVom ;the lint. When we started far the tree,Dic water was nearly up to our necks; it. jrose about ibivo feet during the time w- ! were on the tree ; some time after sunriseiwo saw Mrs Smith, with of the decease I, :Frederi.-k Smith, coming by herself in id boat, she took us in the boat and landed pis, ! Cecilia Baker, 15, having been duly isworn, states ;—I am a daughter of Isaac 1 Daniel Baker; on Friday night last j flood surround-*-- 1 , our hut ; we were ail! j driven on to the ro. f of the hon-e, (ii-| (water rising nil the time we were there ; 1; jhad the baby in my arms; after my j imother and brothers were dead, and Moses I ;and father had gone* to the tree, the water I (e nne up to my chin, and, wn-hed mo oT ; the hut; 1 tlmn had to let the baby go,I ‘and swam to the tree ; we were released by) Mrs. Fred. .Smith. j | Mary Ann Smith, having been dulvj isworn, sfati s :—I am the wife of the de.' 'ceased Frederick dmith ; the last time 1) saw him alive was about dark on Friday |

(evening hn-t ; he too!-: a candle and wen! I lo Mr Baker’s place ; he went to render .assistance to Baker and his family; lud put, a long rope to the boat, and. told mo (to look after it until he came b n-k ; ah ml. (half an hour after he left I went to the! boat and had to shift the peg ; during that’ ’h-of h uv tiie river rose »;: Let .he wut up d-va ; then over the banks; ab ut three! ,hours after my husband left I heard a) eooey ; t thought it was my husband call-; dug to let me know he was all rigid ; Ij ) heard I hem railing all night, but did not! (think they were in dnr.g t until daylight.! ;a ho 1 heard I urea c •.•••vs together ; li (tile. 1 felt sure they we;v in di-dre.-.- ; 1 Ff, ! >ny el.ihhva in l.ie but (I have live, tin-) jcide-t cbiiri 1 ■ ■1 ) and started with the boat; j 1 live on the Mudgee River, about half n ; I mile above the jui'.et' m : 1 stirpl lljiv.i i'hu »tr. am. whi.-li was v-ry ‘ tong, and U’a i gr.-.P di I e iliy in keeping clear of the (timber coming down m I lit* flood, and the | trees on tiie h inks ; atone time the boat) Igvuundecl ; 1 hat to jump out up to my' 1 knees in water, shove it off, and then jump) jni as fast as I could ; after being m tin-j | s!ream about li.-df an hour I got into (smooth water on the tint, and reached the 'tree, '.vhcre I found Mr Baku’.ami his s m and (laughter ; they were clinging t-> the (t ive ; they get into the h ear, ami [ pifih-d

! hem to land about a quarter "f a mile oil'; .they could render me no a-si-tauee in I pulling die bo d ; 1 recogui-e ad the bodies I —ot,e is my hii-baud, the others arc the leiiiihen and wild ot Daniel Taker. | John 13imulen, having bam duiv sworn, |stab s; —I am n squ itter, living at JJurranIdomr. On .Satunlay morning last, 22nd iin.-lant, a hide after dayliglit, I and too | r.en started in the direct ion of Taker's 'hut. in con.-cqnemv of a d tod, anil know|in A that 13 iker's |>i.ice was in a damterous I jios.lion. After g.Tng a short distance L jsaw how high the llood was mi the (lit, je.ud sent tin* men biek tor the boat, f-.vliitg t'tire that T liter’s piece was under water. | i wailed until the men came with the boat. . 'A it then got in and pulled towards JJ.tker'.place as IVt as we could. When we got near the place we e-mid sec nothing of the hut, and comm need to eooev. The water at this time must have been six or s. ven feat above the top of the hut. The llood hat this time was just at its highest. After' la time wc heard an answer to cur eooev in die? direction of the ,V. u ig,-e river. We ! milled that way un.il wo not to dry land, and iheu saw Taker stai (bug on tiic shore. I He t-Md u - he had hot ail ms family with iii:,- (M'epiion of two. L ihen Went to

dmiih's hut and saw the two children. On Sunday morning I and others commenced to ser.ch for the bodies ; we found seven of the bodies that diy. Two bodies (children) were found hanging on the hut, the remaining two holies we fund this morning; they were about throe immlr d yards Irom the hut—they wore the b-«bv owl thorn.s ltd a in. <)i Friday nig'U J went to bed about 8 o'emetm- river had ihen • iso,i about thirty id, t. I think thru at f.at time the water ir.n-i have br-'n n mid linker’s !iu!. 1 l!u uMit of Taker all |ii:e ev„nmg bait did not ldink he wvu’.d -top i i too hut. Taker's iuu is about a i mile liom my le, use. 1 did net in ar anv envying. There was a place midway

i w here toe people eoul.t have heard it, and I ti'.ougni tn. y would have made me hear | if anything ". s the matter, Ail the people at my place we..t to bed that night. Jliotu’is I'ivc.uway, having I.cm duly! ■ worn, stilt-.s : —I live abm-t !i i!f way be- . wcm Air iiJur.ti -u’s and thdun's hut. 1 relit I u lit d aoc UI o oci ‘ e a p i; i. ui i i' in - day 1 .s., I woke about - o'clock on the : : morning of the titled ; my mate was u iUS’i, lie siid tlio river was rising. 'went to bed again for ahold half an hour, ;au.i then we thought we h. am some one icoecy. \\ e then got up, and again hcaru liie calls, and knew it was Baker's people. ;1 could distinguish no sentences. Wo were then surruunded w.th water; notwithstanding, i started to go to Blundell’s to sate myself, and toil them of the coocvs . at Baker’s, but my mate, being a very old , man, refusing to go, I turned back and re- . mnined with him on ttie loft, i was tinI able to offer any assistance, and felt conti- . dent that others having boats, and living . near, would render all necessary assist : ance.