EXTRAORDINARY RAINFALL AND DISASTROUS FLOODS IN AUSTRALIA. SEVERAL LIVES LOST. WHOLE DISTRICTS SUBMERGED. RAILWAY AND TELEGRAPH COMMUNICATION STOPPED. SYDNEY. May 28.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 372, 29 May 1889, Page 2

EXTRAORDINARY RAINFALL AND DISASTROUS FLOODS IN AUSTRALIA. SEVERAL LIVES LOST. WHOLE DISTRICTS SUBMERGED. RAILWAY AND TELEGRAPH COMMUNICATION STOPPED. SYDNEY. May 28.

Rain and accompanying floods still continue. During the past 72 hoars sixteen inches of rain have fallen This record is unprecedented in the history of the Colony Great damage hns been caused throughout the riry and country Both telegraphs and railways have heen interrupted in every direction It is blowing terrifically along' the coast and many coasting vessels are overdue. AH the rivers are rising rapidly and severe floods are anticipated. An omnibus was washed away at Canterbury, and a boy named Grnce drowned, whilst others were only rescued with great difficulty. Railway communication is blocked everywhere. Never in the history of the department has such a stoppage at Croydon occurred before. Thirty families were rescued by boats at Marrickville which is submerged, the residents leaving in boats. A rescue boat at Windsor w,as wrecked and a man named Jenkins drowned. There are slight "signs of abatement,

MELBOURNE, May '28. Floods in Mumurkh district have assumed terrible and unparallelled proportions. The Lower Gouldboura valley is covered with water, and hum] reels of forward crops which surround the town of Mumurkh have been destroyed. The township of Natelie is in danger of being o-verwhelHied..