TASMANIA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1369, 8 July 1872, Page 2

TASMANIA.

GREAT FLOODS AND DESTRUCTION Oi" PROPERTY. The fallowing is. abridged from the Hobart Town Mercury, sth June ;_— Yenterday, Hobart Town, in common with a considerable portion, of the colony, was visited by a most unusual «form> of wind and rain. Frohi huie) different telegraphic stations we have, with the exception of Longford, one uniform taleof flood and destruction. After several fine days up to Monday, when the weather was dull and hazy, a change occurred at midnight, aiijl rain set irt* with a strong S. W. gale, increasing during the night to a hurricane. At daylight on Tuesday morning there was every appearance of Hoods ;• the cellars of some of the, large establishments began to be inundated, and measures were commenced tor removing stores and goods liable to be damaged by the water. As the morning advanced the wind increased in violence, and fears began to be entertained for the safety of the shipping in harbor, but we areglad to say that the precautions adopted were successful in averting damage. In the meantime the sea ran exceptionally high, and the creeks became swollen, the Hobai t Town rivulet having, an unusual fresh, until about 1 p.m.„ when it overflowed, in Collins-street in the vicinity of the New Market, which, presented the appearance of a vrast lagoon. By degrees crowds of persons assembled in different localities where they could catch a sight of the creek:— in Collins-street, Argyle street, on Wellington Bridge, and the other bridges upwards, as well as from the back part of the houses in Liverpool-street. About 3 o'clock a quantity of debris was borne on the rushing torrent, indicative Of the resistless force of the water in removing obstructions, and showing that the damage customarily resulting from floods had begun. There was a considerable fresh in. the Park-street Creek, and between 1 and 2 p.m. a wall and several fences,, enclosing the properties of Mr Green and others, were thrown down by the violence of the flood, and the water overflowed in the gaidens bordering onthe creek, doing damage to the trees. The scene of Molle-street Bridge was. one of devastation. The rush of waters levelled fences on land neai Turner's mill in one direction, and threw down a fence and wall on Mr Barnard's property at the back of Macquarie street, and in each case the water flowed into the paddocks and gardens, and must have done more or less damage. The bridge itself appeared to be staunch,, although the water at that point rose to a great height. The malthouse on the premises of Messrs J. Walker and Sou was flooded, the water attaining a height of 18 inches, and there was a depth of water of 5 feet at the kiln eyes. About a dozen men were kept actively employed in preventing damage and reuioving grain. A part of the brewery yard was also inundated. The bridge m Upper Collins-street, and a small bridge opposite the brewery* were at one time thought to be in jeopardy owing to the force of the torrent, but as that part there is & slight divergence in the creek, and the water has a considerable break, no damage resultedWood and Spencer's brewery, at the back of Liverpool-street, suffered severely by the influx of water and the spoiling of grain. Melbourne->:t. was completely flooded,, and ingress to the houses was stopped. The residents of Elizabeth-lane are among the sufferers, and ihere were several narrow escapes of children in this locality from being washed away. Wellington Bridge narrowly escaped being burst up, in consequence of the accumulation of debris, consisting oi timber and other thing*, which hail to be lemovcd by special means. At the request of the Public Works Committee, the Hon. Colonial Secretary gave order* for two gangs of prisoners from the jail to work at the bridge, and these, headeu by ji man named named Gleeson, behaved with much daring, indeed risking their lives, to seize the debris as it

rushed, borne on the torrent towards the bridge, and hand it ashore. At the Campbell-street bridge, and at the lower end of Collins-street, a large amount of des'ruction done. The waters in the creek rose steadily till about 3 o'clock, when great fears were entertained that the bridge would give way to the immense pressure of water which was then coming dow.n the creek. Masses of debris —the portions of bridges, sheds, ttc , which had been carried down by the current —came against the arch of the bridge, the heavy pieces of timber striking with the force of battering rams. About a quarter-past three o'clock the vail abutting on Collins-street, opposite the New Market,, gave way—a piece ot some twenty-five yards falling with a dull crash into the street. The foaming torrent thus released from the confining walls found its way down Camp-bell-street towards Macquarie street, and thence into the Fisherman's Dock. At this time the numerous spectators congregated on and about the Campbellstreet bridge were horrified at seeing three men carried away by the rush of water which had escaped by the falling of the confining wall. One of these men climbed up a lamp post opposite the New Market, and remained in this perilous position for some minutes, till the fury of the sudden outburst of walei had abated. Another man was rolled over and over in the seething torrent like a cork, and was carried many yards before regaining his feet. The third escaped with some difficilty by swimming and wading up Collins-street. Proceeding upwards along the Hobart Town rivulet, it presented a seething volume of water clashing on with irresistable fury, and ever and anon overflowing its banks where there were low grounds, carrying with the current fences, palings, garden products, and sweeping away the surface soil. At Glenorchy a very serious disaster has to be recorded, and the devastation, we regret to say, has been attended with loss of life; a man named Moran, in the employment of Messrs Wright and Co., having le. i n carried away by the flood in the endeavor to save the property of his employerby removing some logs which threatened it. The properties of Messrs Wright, Reed, and the Rev. Mr Symons, have also suffered much injury, the extensive hop-grounds of Mr Stephen Wright being completely inundated. The residence and grounds of the Rev. Mr Symons were almost entirely submerged, the water being up to the eaves of his cottage, and he and his family being compelled to seek refuge at the residence of Mr H. Hopkins, Newtown In tlie locality of Norfolk the floods were of almost unprecedented violence. At the Sorell creek the water was flowing clean over the bridge, and masses of trees and other debris flowed over it. Nearly the whole of the road between Biidgowater and New Norfolk was under water, and the hop-grounds of Messrs Terry and Riddoch were completely submerged. By 5 o'clock the floods had begun to subside, but a great deal more rain fell during the night. As the obstructions had been so thoroughly removed, it was not anticipated that much further damage would ensue Compared with the floods in 1854 there was a much heavier rush of water, and had not some of the obstructions that formerly existed, been removed, and alterations made to the creek by way of widening it at certain parts, the damage would have been enormous.