Bourke, ,N.S. Wales.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 22 April 1890, Page 2

Bourke, ,N.S. Wales.

-*>- _ Much interest bas been excited as to the fate <f the town of Bourke, owmg to the rising of the waters of fche Darling river which has already submerged twenty miles of country all round ifc. To secure tho safety of the town a line of earthworks, three mi'es in length was erected, and large num* bers of navvies were de patched to assist the inhabitants. As this is a very' extraordinary position for a town to be placed in it may be in teresting to know how tbe place is described in the Picturesque Atlas of Austra.asia. Bourke is mentioned as the one historic and cbaracteriatic township of the great inland river. (Darling) It is to the pastoral life, what Ballarat is to the mining. The town is bui t on a black flat on the left or southern bank of tbe river— a dead level that stretches away to tbe horizon with a raw of poor clumps of trees to diversify its bleak and shapeless aspect. Thirty miles north- east is the remarkable Mount Oxley, rising to the height of 700 feet sheer from the plain, its treeless edge straight as a roof line The red soil is fouud on the skirts of tbe plum, marking the limit of past overflows, for the river now very rarely rises to the Btreets of the town. All the great buildings — churches, hospitals, schools banks, and principal hotels — are of brick ; the others of wood and ii on. The streets are broad but unmetalled. On a dry hot day of midsummer, black dust, as fine ar flour, b ows along them. In a wet day of wint>r the sticky mud clings to all things with which ifc comes in contract. There are not many wet days in Bourke, the average amount of rainfall being 16*2 inohes, whilst a few miles further North and West the rainfall only averages 9 to 12 mch p s The dry character of the country can "be guaged when it is s ated that a special plau is supplied showing the stock routes with the tanks and wells marked thereon. Winter months bring occasionally piercing winds, the thermometor standing afc 50 degrees. Summer is unmistakeably hot, the mercury even in the shade, often ranging from 110 to 125 degrees. The two gteat businesses are the carrying of goods and the purveying of dri ks. Many varie les of drinks are brewed i from the 1-^mons and. oranges and I ice is broiigm up by the daiy train from thd coa»t. Bullock teams, horse teams and American coaches come iuto town from ab points of the compass. The drovers are th«busiest and perhaps most interesting of all, for they bring down the big mo * s o from the rich Pasturages of western Queensland, truck them at the yards a coup c of miles out of the town. Not less than 50 000 are trucked every year, long trains with the living freight starting Sydneywards every day. Three miles east of Bourke the river is bridged, aud fiom that bridge the roads branch off to the border, and ove<* ten degree-* of longitude to the great downs of Queensland and the Northern Territory of South australi'i. Bourke is connected with bydney by rail, a distance of over 400 miles. A great burst in the embankments at Bourke took place at 4. SO on *>atday afternoon near {the Hospital Bui dings, but it was not tillllo'e ock tbat tbe works finally gave way. After it was seen thet the bank could not be repaired there was a scene of the wi dest excitement, men on hotse* back galloping to and fro informing their friends. Men, women, and children could be seen rushing about the streets ih the wildest confusion* Thiß, however only lasted a short tlnn. Everybody set to work to save property, _ and do what thoy could t ) get the women and children and bedding away by steamer to North Bourke. Brave fellows, despite the fact tbat they were liable to be swept away , made gallant efforts to block the water, and as a last report men actually stood shoulder to sboulder, with tbeir backs to the water light a'ong the gap, wbile other shove led up the earth as quick y as they could ' Ihis was no use, and large tarpau. litis were then stretched across the break aiid sandbags piled up against them, but tbe force of water carried tbem away like so mucb paper. Ten minutes after the first alarm had been given 208 people were on the ground .but it was seen that a I efforts would be useless, and thia ■•ÜBV. tbnvi g town, after a'l the hard work and 'oss of time and money, was b und to be submerged. Thi* ie tbe greatest flood ever known by white men in Australia. A mi eto tbe north of where the water broke through the embank ment is carrying lift of water, and if tbis had gon» the whole town must have been literally swept awuy. As it is great anxiety is felt, for even if it gives now great destruction must ensue.

All tho private embankment! in fche town are being built higher and made as secure as possible, but it if feared before the flood goes down many brick buildings will collapse. The ourrent round the oornen and in between houses will be a terrible source of dagger. The water is now up to an ordinary man's waist all ov«-r the town. Bourke now stands in the midst of a great inland sea forty miles wide. Judging frum the mass of water pasting Brewarrina, higher up the river Bourke may expect another two or three feet. Latest reports 3ay that early yester** day morning the private embank* ments began to fail and many ol the buildings are collapsing.