The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-20
AUSTRALIANS VARIED SOURCES.
Typhoid Fever and Diphtherfa Fol
lowing Heat and Electric Storms.


New York Sun.
Australians scourging by no means ceased
With the passing Of the terrible heat wave
and the subsiding of the electric storms and
the heat. as told Of in the Sun recently. The
last mail advice from the sorely afflicted
continent tell of a Widespread epidemic OF
typhoid fever, a direct consequence or the
heat. Almost all the wells I'm many districts
were dried up. and creeks and rivers ceased
to flow A water famine resulted, and the
inhabitants were compelled to use impure
water. As a result typhoid broke out. and
the mortality from the disease was, at last
accounts. even greater than that caused by
the terrible heat. Melbourne was badly af-
ficted. The fever wards in the hospitals
soon filled up, and very many patients had TO
be turned away. The same conditions OBJ
and outbreaks of typhoid were reported from
many parts Of the continent. Diphtheria,
too. broke out in many places. and caused
The storms that followed the heat inter-
rupted communication. blowing dow tele-
roads. and when the last mail advices left
Australia but meager reports were obtain
able OF the death and destruction caused
throughout the continent and in Tasmania
and New Zealand by the extraordinary ell
matte conditions. After the heat and storms
came earthquakes. They were not serious.
and no considerable damage had been re-
ported at last accounts. They were most
felt in Queensland. The earth trembled and
windows ratified and crockery was shaken
A@Chi a lldi a oOEth w III tiC
country reported having experienced the
shocks. The shocks passed from east to
west.
The Australian papers are filed with
stories of the great heat and storms and the
loss of life and property resulting therefrom.
sn II whiicb o mea, rsco IN Ja nulrrs , was h in
Adelaide, 172 degrees in the sun and Ill de-
grees in the shade: in Melbourne, 12 de-
grees in the shade: Hopetoun, 13 degrees;
Swan Hill, 116 degrees: Bourke, lis degrees,
and Mildura, 12O degrees. In Bourke, N S.
W., a town of 5000 inhabitants, thirty-five
people died in one week Of apoplexy. People
fell in the streets and died without regain
Ing consciousness. A woman attending her
dying husband became suddenly III from the
heat and died an hour before her husband.
A son-in-law Of these two died from the
heat while making the funeral arrange
ments. Many people were found after the
heat was over, dead in the country roads
and in the fields. The railway departments
of the various colonies made special reduced
rates to enable people to escape TO the cooler
districts of the Australian Alps. and the
residents of the plains fled to the mountains
panic stricken.
throughout the country because Of the water
drying up. The pelicans profited rather than
suffered by the heat. They thronged the
banks OF the lakes In thousands, gorging
themselves on the fish exposed by the evap-
Grating waters. Birds fell from the trees
and died in great numbers. The wax cells
numbers of bees, which were thus smooth
cred in their own sweetness. Cattle and
sheep died IN Groves all over the continent,
and the price of stock has gone up greatly.
Smelling was suspended In most of the min
ing towns, and surface laborers of all kinds
had to cease work. The grape crops in many
districts were ruined. In Sydney a hundred
tons OF Ice were consumed daily, and the
supply of lemons was completely used up.
Serious fires occurred, not only In the
bush and the country districts, but also in
the cities, started by spontaneous combus-
ton. Extra guards were placed at many
factories and warehouses to watch for and
guard against fire generating In closely
the country, and the fate Of many settle
ments Is still In doubt.
The damage in Queensland from the
storms which followed close after the heat
was very great, and only meager reports
had yet been collected three weeks ago.
Houses and buildings of all descriptions
were swept away in the floods, and the dam
age to crops, almost ready for the harvest.
was enormous. The Comet river rose forty
feet in twelve hours, the Mega twelve feet
and the Yama twelve feet. At Payneham
the English church. one of the finest struc-
lures in the colony, was leveled to the
ground by the cyclonic gale and the sue
ceeding floods. At olympic the mines were
flooded. and all mining operations in the
district were suspended. Great suffering
prevailed In all quarters heard from. and
great destftution must result from the ruin
Of the crops.
IT will doubtless be many weeks before
the complete story of Australians extraor-
binary climatic scourge is learned, and all
the indications are that II will be a terrible
and sorrowful tale.