TERRIFIC STORMS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1931, Page 3

TERRIFIC STORMS

ALONG N.S.W. COAST. (Australian Press Association.) SYDNEY, April 24. A storm burst on Syuncy with renewed violence to-day. torrential rain tell just be.ore noon, and Hooded toe streets and roads, winch were damaged by semiring. Ine harbour l.rry masters had a dilncult task in navig.-f ing the vaiious tramc lalKs, owing to the poor visibility, the ram cutting oil me view only one hundred yards away. An electric train crashed into the rear of aliotner at killara station on the Hornsby line, owing to the Ipvtiks not bolding on the slippery rails. A number ol passengers uvie nijiuvd but none seriously. The impact c..used the the overhead gear to uise with a startling explosion. Both trams had experienced trouble with the power, apparently owing to the rain interfering with the mains.

Yesterday there was a continuation of cyclonic conditions; in New Smith Wales, but the elements were easier later in the day. However, heavy rain continued on the north coast, increasing the danger of Hoods. HuiiU; River threatened to overrun its banks ally minute. Many Cess nock iambics evaentec! their homes, the water being several inches deep in the homes. Some settlers in the Maitland district are cut off by deep water, and the railway lines are "submerged. A constable at Cess nock waded cliest-lngo in the water, and rescued a man s„i-K-ring .101.1 pneumonia. Thursday’s launall in this district ranged up to six inches. The New Smith Wales North rn Rivers settlers to-day face Hoods owing to the rivers rapidly rising. :Man\ are fleeing to the safer highlands. The train services are disorganised. SYDNEY, April 25.

All the central rivers are rising alarmingly, pillowing on the lurtlier im - rented rains. The cyclone still continues along the coast. Big floods are threatened in the Hunter Rivet valley.

Homes at Hexham and the \Y st .Maitland have been abandoned.

Cessnoek is completely isolated by water, which is four feet deep m sonic of the. homes.

All the coastal shipping lias received a severe buffeting. The Christina Frazer, after sheltering at Broken May for two days, limped into port. A.s the result of yesterday’s downpour in the city, two women had to h.* rescued in a boat at Manly, where the water was four feet deep in the ambulance station. The low lying sections in the other suburbs were Hooded.

A landslide occurred at the Spit, , A fireball explored in a tree at Mona Vale. One man was paralvs d Two telephonists were struck by lightning.

Houses were rooked, windows shattered, and parts' of a free hurled over a hundred yards. Two children, a brother and sister were drowned in a flooded creek lie ■ Senile, on the way to school WEST MAITLAND DANGER. ALL MINES IDLED. SYDNEY, April 26. The floods east of the great junction have caused tiny closing or nil the mines of the South Maitland field, idling six thousand men Many homes are inundated. West Maitland faces a critical s:tuation. The main portion of the town is endangered if the waters rise .Hither, as the result of a heavy downpour during Saturday night. A thousand people arc already homeless. Serious flooding in the riverside suburbs of Newcastle is threatened owing to the incoming tide banking up tie swolk'n Hunter River. The town of Hexham is in the worst case. A sum.hag embankment at Swimieys Point protect hundreds of homes, but it is being closely watched in case a weakness develops It. now appears a fire at a sub-sta-tion caused the breakdown of the dec. ti ic supply, and led to the train accident. The breakdown wa s remedied, and the current then came on suddenly. with the result that the rear train crashed into the one ahead at the station.