Floods in Queensland.

Manawatu Herald, 11 February 1893, Page 2

Floods in Queensland.

Qipen street, Brisbana, is now free of water. The Victoria Bridge coHapspd with a fearful crash on Sunday, shaking the buildings in the vicinity as if an earthquake had occurred. Nothing is left to mark the site of the structure. South Brisbane is in a terrible state, and on y 25 houses are left standing in Stanley street, which is one stretch of ruins. At Kangaroo Point, families clung tenaciously to their belongings, but they were eventually forced to flee for their lives, losing all their pos sessions. Rescuing parties are at work day and night. Many families are living in boats covered with aai s, while less fortunate ones are sheltered behind logs and timber. . There has be<-n great destruction amongst live stock, and the stench from the carcases of the animals lying m all directions is terrible. Many of the residents in Oxley were in a critical condition for some time, but a torpedo boat towing a whab boat conveyed them provisions and rendered them assistance. The Botanical Gardens are a complete wreck. The names of those drowned so i far as is known are Messrs Power and Grey and a boy Bankin At Sandgate immense quantities of debris, including portions of houses is coming ashore. The damage in North Brisbane alone will reach hundreds of thou sands of pounds. Over 100 houses passed down the river within an horn 1 , being shivered to pieces as they collided with the Victoria Bridge. A man and woman were seen on the ro if of a house which capsized I at a bend in the river, and both were drowned. I Th? authorities .have secured all th* disinfectants in Brisbane, and gangs of mpii are employed removing the deposit of mnd from the streets. • The whole eastern potion of fcbn

colony is almost literally under water. A number of Sydney merchant-; have subscribed £700, which was f >r\varded to Brisbane, to assist sufLrers by the flood. I rain communication from South Brisbann was resumed, but a £ar> of about 150 yards in length at U-ooclna has to be traversed by the passengers on foot in order to join the train on the Ipswich side. The telegraph line has been temporarily repaired. The Antigua bridge across the Mary river, which was swept away, cost £30,000. Many small vessels lying in the harbour have disappeared* There is very little food in the city, and £15 is asked for a bag of flour. The newspapers are being printed at the Government Printing office. It is still raining intermittently, and more rain is predicted. It will probably be many weeks before a true estimate of the damage cun be arrived at. The gunboat Palumah and the steamer Elamang are now lying in the pathway in the Botanical Gardens, where they were deposited by the flood.