The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-12

Situated between the confluence OF two
rivers. Blenheim was sub. ect to severe
periodical foods. Whenever an unusu-
ally wet season occurred the distant
mountain torrents poured down into the
rivers, and the food. backing up at their
junction. overspread the adjacent low
lying country, forming one vast lake. An
enormous dam had been built across the
head Of the valley to protect the town.
Looks like coming down like cats and
dogs said the host of The Bushman's
Rest" going to the door and scanning
the sky for the hundredth time. Black
as yer hat all round "
Hang my luck!" grOwled the Kanga-
roo lanky shearer. throwing down the
dice box with bang who the devil has
any chance against eighteens, Here,
landlord..I' m stuck again. Give US another
dose Of Your fine old kerosene"
"Shouldn't wonder if we don't have
another food like we had in seventy-six, -
remarked Tommy the Shingler sagely.
Just the same kinder weather all over.
My word, that was a sneeZer. Noah's
flood wasn't patch on it. There was six
foot o water in this bar. Dye mind
that time, Masher2"
My blooming oath will / ever forgit
it! Boss and the missus and three kids
was drowned up there at the crossing
best boss ever worked for. Why, l was
two days perched like possum on the
roof Of the woolshed 'specting' every
minute as it I'D break up. My colonial
don't | remember it
Here's humping luck. boys said the
Kangaroo, tossing off neat whisky, and
wlplng his mouth with the back of his
hand. Let's have a shilling in and the
winner shout next time"
Amt no danger of another food.
broke in Yankee Joe, the dams been
put up since then"
Don't YOU be too cocksure O. that"
said the Shingler. Listen! dyer hear
that That's the roar o. the waters at.
the junction. My word, it's sight worth
seeing. The two big foods grapple and
fight each other there. and one on EN-
goes back for rest, and races about all
over the country, and then comes back
agin, bringing down hundreds of big
trees and drowned cattle and sheep.
Hallo who's thisf'
Its Holmes, said the Kangaroo; "he's
Clifford s boundary rider. Look at his
saddle The waters been right over the
seat"
The new conner fastened the reins care
lessly TO the ring in the post, and sauut-
cred into the bar Water was dripping
from his clothes and forming puddle on.
the floor
"Hallo, mates. Here, give il a name.
He flung down a greasy bank note on
the counter ana began to fill his pipe.
Anything up2n asked the Kangaroo.
Yes the hood's up over the girth, and
there's a big pile O. logs and dead sheep
banked up behind the bridge My word,
when 1T goes you'll nave to look out for
squalls down here
The news spread through the town like
wildtire, creating general CONSERVATION.
The few people who were rich enough to
live in twOsrOry buildings began moving
their furniture To the upper floors, the
storekeepers piled their goods -on the
counters and upper shelves, and the host
ofthe Bushman's Rest got up fresh sup
ply of spirits from the cellar. He knew
that big flood meant "a big drunk"
Suddenly the Kangaroo paused in
the act of throwing and held the dice box
poised in his hand
There was a noise of shouting in the
streets.
There's a leak in the dam" yelled a
man rushing past with shovel on his
shoulder.
In another moment hundreds of men
were rushing up the valley toward the
spot where a yellow watefy thread was
slowly oo1ing through the erfBankment
and winding down like a monstrous
serpent toward the town.
They clustered about the weak SPOT like
swarm of ants, pilling up timber and
earth against the breach, fighting the
watery demon with desperate energy.
The leak grew smaller and smaller, dying
away into thin trickling thread, and
soon it ceased altogether. The men sent
up shout of triumph and desisued from
their labor.
Narrow shave, WASH it," remarked
the Shingler. what's that3'
Suddenly came a sullen boom. like the
mufted roar OF distant guns followed by
the sound of crashing timber and the
surEing of torrents, swelling into a
mighty roar.
The bridge has gomez was the cry
that went up, and the men rushed away
down the valley, where their wives and
little ones were.
All that day there had been a desperate
trial of strength between the bridge and
the rising flood The strong timbers of
the structure had groaned under the
pressure of q great mass of ponderous
logs and trees uprooted by the waters
and carried down by the torrent. But
slowly and surely the waters had been
gaining in strength, every fresh tree in
creasing the fearful strain. Like giant
the food was only mastering all its power
for the final effort.
Suddenly the bridge trembed and
shook like thing Of life, and the great
tangled mass Of debris pressed forward
with relentless force The bridge swayed
TO and fro, bent like a bow; there was
sound of rending and tearing, followed by
loud crash as il snapped IN the center
and broke away from its fastenings Then
the great wall of water rolled onward
with reslstless fury, sweeping before it
confused piles of wreckage gaunt black
logs mingled in fantastic masses, like
living leviathans of the deep graphing in
horrible conflict, carcasses of sheep and
cattle and horses, shattered houses and
furniture.
AS the yellow wall of water, crested
with yeasty form, came rolling majesti-
cally onward, some of the men seemed
fascinated by the spectacle and had to be
dragged along by their friends. 1t surged
up against the dam, leaped over the frail
barrier throwing up a cloud of spray, and
then, blackened by the melting earth,
swept over the broad expanse and crept
down into the town, covering it TO a depth
of four or five feet, and completely sub
merging some of the houses in the low
lying parts
There were high iinks in Blenheim that
night. The people held a kind of carni-
val, pulling up and down the main streets
IN boats or canoes, singing songs and
choruses and exchanging rude badinage.
There Is kind of reckless hilarity even
in despair
Outside The Bushman's Rest there was
tiotilla of boats and RATS Whisky
flowed almost as freely as the water