The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-03-14
FROM THE SOUTH.
LATE NEWS FROM sgd
NEY, AUCKLAND AND
SOUTH SEAS.
Brisbane is Visited by Terri
bic Flood Which Renders
Many People Home
less.

parison more disastrous than any ever
before experienced in Australia. Rain
had been falling almost constantly
for some days, but, it being for the
most part light, no serious conse-
quences were expected until last Fri
day week, when reports from the
Upper Brisbane watershed showed
that heavy flood was inevitable,
and all possible efforts were made to
prepare for it. But the very worst
fears that could have been enter
tanned fell far short OF the terrible
reality. The high flood OF 1890 made
the record up to the present time, and
it was thought that the limit ofpossibi-
litv was then reached. Unfortunately,
however, that food has become al
most insignificant by comparison
with the present disaster. The waters
rose very rapidly, and the level of
the big flood had been reached. Still
the rain poured down increasingly,
and the waters continued to rise until
the maximum height was reached
yesterday night week, the level being
then about twelve feet above the flood
of 1890. The scene was then terrible.
A very large portion of Brisbane and
suburbs, and The whole Of the sur
rounding country in every direction,
were inundated, the water being in
many places over the tops Of the
houses. In Brisbane and its imme-
diate vicinity some thousands of
houses were submerged, and many
hundreds Of families were forced TO
seek such shelter as was obtainable
on the higher ground, many
losing all they possessed, and
barely escaping with their lives.
Rescue boats were hard at work in all
directions, removing the people to
places of safety. Many We're clinging
to their places so long that they could
only be removed with the greatest
difficulty. Everything possible was
done to afford shelter to the homeless
and to relieve immediate distress, but
the misery among the poorer families
was very great. a large portion of
the city itself was under water, all the
wholesale warehouses and many other
business establishments being flooded
in Queen street, the principal business
street. The water rose to a height of
about feet in the front Courier Office
flooring, and all the lower floors of the
premises in that locality. The ma
chine room of the Courier was more
than 40 feet under water. South Bris-
bane suffered more severely than the
north side, the whole of the business
portion and large part of the resi-
dence area being totally submerged.
In Stanley street. the principal street
in South Brisbane, the water must
have reached a height of 20 feet in
places, and in more exposed localities
the destruction was appalling. Hun
dreds of houses were swept bodily
away and carried down the river, or
piled against the railway EN- banilment
which runs through that portion of
the town. The lower part of Kanga-
roo Point has been almost entirely
swept away, what now remains being
simply mass of wreckage in heaps.
The GiIbert Islands.
BY an American vessel, the Tarawa,
which reached Sydney direct from the
Gilbert Islands, there arrived two re-
representatives. of the principal firms
doing business in that group. They
report that since the islands were
taken under q British prOtectorate a
very marked improvement has taken
place in the social and commercial
habits Of the people. The rules laid
down by Captain Davis, of H. NJ. s.
at the time Of the declara-
ton of the protectorate, for the guild
ance of the chiefs in their dealings
with the natives, have in the main
been followed, and this splendid archi-
pelago at no previous time in its his
tory has been so prosperous as it rs at
present. The tribal wars, the veXa-
tious and tyrannical laws, the corporal !
of females, and many other
semi-civiliZed customs are no longer
or enforced. " Ali that is
wanted noW,n say these visitors, ''is
that duly qualified British Resident
be appointed by Her Majesty Amer
leans and Germans residing in the
group unanimously praise the action
taken by Captain Davis, and heartily
welcome the advent of a stable gov
under the British flag. Such i
is the testimony of the gentlemen who |
have now arrived in Sydney, and their |
many years of residence in the group, |
and personal knowledge of the COM |
mercial habits of the people, as we'll |
rs the resources of the islands them |
selves, make the testimony of specia |
value. With regard to the trade of |
the Gilberts, they state that the ex
port of copra is chiefly direct TO
Europe. Business on a considerable
scale is done with San Francisco, and
Two Sydney houses also trade with
he group. A strong feeling is enter
aimed in the islands with respect to
visits made by labor-recruiting yes
iels, and it is fervently hoped that
he traffic will be prohibited. Res
)ectng a cablegram published from
Iur London correspondent to the
fleet that a movement, headed by
King Tebureimoa Of Butaritari, was
foot to petition the American Gov
rnment to protest against the Brit
sh annexation of the islands, and
skiing for an American protectorate,
he passengers by the Tarawa state
hat the Butaritari monarch's infiu-
nee is of minor importance, taking
be whole Of the inhabitants, foreign
I'd natfYe, in the Gilberts, and that
hen they left there on the Sth of last
lonth the position OF affairs in the
,oup was as stated-enthusiastic of
Ie British administration through
It the islands.-LSydney Herald.