GREAT FLOODS IN AUSTRALIA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1837, 5 January 1889, Page 1

GREAT FLOODS IN AUSTRALIA.

Melbourne, January 2. The most disastrous floods which have been experienced since 1854 took place at Castleraaine yesterday afternoon, and at night a portion of a bridge was swept through the town. All the rai : . way bridges from Castleraaine to Chewton have been destroyed, and the damage done to property is enormous. Traffic has been suspended. Mrs Matthews, who in her endeavors to ovoid the rush of water got on a table with her youngest child, overbalanced, and both were drowned. Two miners named O’Connor and Dennis were drowned owing to the Francis Ormond mine flooding. It is still raining generally in the colony, and heavy floods have been experienced in some places. In Maldow the main street was wrecked by water pouring down it, and at Sandhurst a man named Rundle was drowned. January 3. The floods have been very heavy throughout most of the country districts. Castlomaine is a picture of desolation, At the digging township of Vaughan, about twelve miles from Castlemaine,. the Chinese camp was swept away, and three Chinese drowned, and two more are missing. At Guildford, an agricultural and mining district between Castleraaine and Vaughan, the loss is estimated at £150,000. Townraill, in the Wimmera district, also snffered severely, and a block of buildings owned by McDowell was entirely demolished by the gale. It is still raining hervily.

Three Chinamen were drowned by the floods at Campbell. Creek. A large portion of Castleraaine has been wrecked, and the damage is roughly estimated at £270,000. Largo numbers of live stock hayo perished. . Adelaide, January 2. The weather has broken up throughout the colony and severe floods have occurred. Groat damage has been done, and intercolonial railway communication is suspended, January 3. Sixty miles of railway line in course of construction to connect this city with the Broken Hill mines are extensively damaged by the floods. Great damage was also done to the overland telegraph line,, At Beltana the lino was completely washed away, and the wire in many places is under water.