Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-13
FROM THE ANTIPODES.
THE STEAMER MARIPOSA BRINGS
AUSTRALIAN ADvICES.
Terrible Floods in Observation-Disclosures
Of Families Homeless-Many Fatalities
Reported-Several Shipwrecks.

SAN Francisco, April 1.-THE steamer
Mariposa which arrived today, twenty
four days from Sydney and seven from
Honolulu, brings the following advices:
Extensive floods have done great dam
age in New South Wales and Queens
land. A large part of Brisbane was
inundated; wharves were submerged
and railroad traffic stopped; hundreds
of families are homeless and many fatal
| tiles are reported. Grafton, Singleton,
| West Maitland and other towns were
flooded. Many losses of life and great
destruction of property are reported
from interior points. At last accounts
| the floods were subsiding and communi-
cations between the different districts
were being restored.
The schooner Agnes, with all hands,
has been lost six miles north of Bruins
wick river.
| The American schooner Cassie Hay
ward was wrecked on an island of the
Hervey group, February 4th. The
schooner reached Raratonga January
oath from San Francisco, and was en-
gagged by Captain Piltz for trading
cruise among the islands. A current
carried the vessel ashore on the island
of Mangoia during calm, and it was
impossible to get her off. The hull,
which was insured for $40 900, and cargo,
which was valued at S., 900, were sold for
$195. Captain Piltz and the shipwrecked
crew were taken to Raratonga by the
steamer Little Agnes. A.
The Auckland Herald says intelligence
has been received from Tahiti that the
Council General of Tahiti has approved
of and will subsidize regular line of
mail steamers between Tahiti and the
Samoan islands and Caledonia and Auck-
land, connecting at the latter port with
the service to San Francisco, thus bind
ing together the French establishments
in Oceanica. The project had previously
received the support of the Council Gen
eral of New Caledonia and the Chamber
of Commerce in Noumea.
| A Grafton, N. S. W., special, of March
| 14th, says: The Clarence has been Wis.,
tied by the highest known food, reach
ing twenty-seven feet at this place. The
river slowly rose, giving time to prepare
| for it. Nearlu the whole city
was submerged. The dry spots,
the total of which did not exceed two
acres, were literally covered by live
stock taking refuge. In the lower parts
OF the city many houses were entirely
submerged. The water was. ten feet
deep in the Wesleyan church. All the
banks and business buildings were
falling March 18th. The loss to farmers
will be heavy, as three years ago
similar flood ruined the crops.
A bottle has been washed ashore at
Bribiebie, Morton island, containing the
following letter:
OCTOBER 21, 1889. The bark Endeby,
Captain J.. B. Mitchell, cargo coal, is
waterlogged; twelve men on board. The
sea is rough and the hold on fire. Have
provisions up and matches battened down
to smother the fire. The heat on deck
is intense and we have to hose it and
cover with wet canvass
(Signed) j. S. Mitchell, George
Scott, Mckee, Kinlay and Dawson"
Additional details received of the
wreck of the steamer Suetta, off Thurs
day island, say: About O'Clock on the
evening of March LIST the passengers,
who were holding an impromptu musi-
Gale, were startled by the sudden
stopping of the engines, and the grating
of the vessels keel on sunken rock.
In less than three minutes the Suetta
had sunk out of sight, leaving POI peo-
pie struggling in the waves, some borne
under by the tangled rigging, and others
more fortunate clinging to floating
wreckage. One hundred and thirteen
lives were lost. OF the 125 whites only
thirty escaped, while of the l6L
negroes eighty-two survived. Many
whites were imprisoned in the state
rooms. Captain Sanders states that he
was on the bridge when the vessel
struck. He rushed forward, ordered the
boats out, and found the ship already
settled. He had just time to
climb the rigging and jump into
the water, when the vessel seemed to
stand up on end for moment and then
sink. After half an hour he was picked
up. Others suffered greatly. The rock
on which the, vessel struck is not on the
chart, and is right in thA track of the
course recommended by The admiralty,
which state twelve tstloma of xetef