FLOODS IN VICTORIA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 133, 23 October 1912, Page 6

FLOODS IN VICTORIA.

THBILLLVO STORIES" OF RESCUE. FOUR DROWNED. Torrents of rain, accompanied by equinoctial gales, recently caused practically every river in Victoria to overflow Its banks and 'devastate the country in the vicinity. In some districts the flood was the most disastrous for fifty years Ih the southern portion of New South Wales widespread damage was also done by floods, and in all four lives were lost .—three in Victoria and one in New j South Wales. Hundreds of cattle and ! sheep were drowned.; ;. ■_ At Myrtleford'; ". Thomas'. Quinlivan, while riding over the'flooded.roads b«,Ween Myrtleford and the O'vonß river, his, horse went over/ art/ embankment. The rider dung to: a; log, and vyas rescued with difficulty, after he had been two hours in the water-/;/Artificial means of respiration were applied, but without') avail. Quinlivan died soon after being brought to land. I

Robert Craig Esler, of Colliquee, and Robert Downey, another farmer, 1 lost their lives at Traralgon. Esler had come into -town Vfof his week-end supplies, and there met Downey. They left together,, ; and. were- later seen— Downey leading his horse behind Baler's buggy—crossing the'bridge'over Flynn's Creek. A little further on they attempted to negotiate/a ford over a small tributary of the creek, and were swept into the larger body of water.'- Nothing was known of the happening till the houses were found drowned, 'and Esler'a body was discovered, he]d;by a snag, 108 yards further down the stream. Downey's body has not yet been recovered. His saddle horse was .found wandering along the"l)an'k , 'd-t' i ßright; '■ '••■'

At the time of the rapid rise of the Miirruinbidgce (N.5.W,.-)/large quantities of ; heavy timber were . dislodged ,andibrought down, and numbers [of people wejre engaged in- arresting and landing thw. In the vicinity of the Black Swan Hoitel, Wagga,/John'Rjfan/ (Ll)' was: securing logs that floated by with a rope, when the rope, becoming.,e.ntaiiglpd in a log, dragged' him ihtb'"tn'e water. . Ha. clung to the log for' r s6me' distance and' then. disappeared, r Ht :is thdught that the slack; of i th«, rope .fouled; something «nd dragged the log, with its living burden clinging to it, under the water. At Jamieson (Vic.) a livery stable proprietor named Humphries/arid ihis'assistant, S. Fry, left Mansfield for Jamieson with two buggies,and,.passengers. Whon driving, .along edge of a, deep ravine,, along which thtfwa£er'\yas roaring; Fry's horses becaihe"terrified'aind bolted; : The driver:'stuck fro. hisr'r.pbstp bwt >:at'/ the Corduroy Gan4he.,cQndjtipn-, of- th,e roa,<3, caused the'passengers CE.'khil J. picketl) to ibe jolte'd :; out! 1; " A the animals plunged into the chasm .'a/lid were whirled away Jjy...the. flood. Fry 'got clear 'just; jn '.time. T'The debnia;pijed up'at a broken bridge stayed the horses, and -they were hauled cuit, with the buggy 'still attache)! to them, practically unin:juijed: :f ' ' • ( :: ' ;; '''"•■' : l "''■' - f ■'■■"■■■■;■■> '',■;. ■ Two men in ;by the, wivtQre 'f>f. thje; Goitlblirn on the Sunday morning, and were not rescued 'iintil the following, names 'were Taylor and J? McMSirtitt' ! " They ■h'ad gone qui,, to rescue cattle before off their retrfat,;'i(nd'!ftri'cea:i thorn:,to,-,take-,refugq-!onj it' patahvatolr.mor^hflil^loO^yards •wide. When,,a;S,earch/pa t 'them their island haif dwihdled' f cb'nsiaer- ; ably, and there was'lialf a mile of water bot'\veeii ; "Mwrn'iihiri't'Ke:jr/.reaciifrs'.. ;D*rk;•Uess closed over the_acjme, leaving the two men w,rtho,nt or provisions. On tlie Monday- morning ,their. patch of •land.' still ,furt,her/Qisappe'a'f6d; ! ' Wright man and ; J'. Tinker iheh improvised a' ihqllow tree tftinlcras a/.boafe and with a spade and a;pieco,,o| ■Many, times, their unwieldy/craftJaTrnpsk' capsized, but hard'paddling they 'reached tlie' two*' men. :'''„:'■'■