The evening times., 1896-08-12

nineteen other places recording one each.
1t Is quite probable that fully 500 deaths
have resulted from this January heat wave
In this colony alone. Sydney, with her
42O, 900 people, with her ponderous piles
OF heated masonry. her narrow streets and
her ..10S.5" degrees in the shade at the
observatory and 115 degrees in the shade
at other places, has really been refuge
for the people OF the seethng, broiling III
terinr. To furnish relief for the people
over the range influential delegations
have besought ministers OF the crown to
run special trains at reduced rates, SO as
to allow an escape from this widespread
misery.
RAINLEsS PLAINS
OF course, In any country, with tenn
perature such as recently registered in New
South Wales, there would be great incon-
yenience and considerable suffering, hut
many conditionsin this country and many
customs of the people furnish contributing
causes for suffering when the overheated
season does appear. AS before remarked,
In the interior Of Australia there are prac-
tically nortyers, no m ountains, lakes, creeks,
streams, springs or other natural aids in
breaking a dread monotony. Save the low
range along the eastern coast line, Aus
tralia seems to be q vast, changeless level
plain.
The most Of the interior is scantily adorn-
ed-not tcovered-with scraggy and dwarfed
eucalyptus, with apple and salt bush and
stunted shrubs and a lame excuse for grass
and other diintnutive vegetation. For hun
dreds OF miles in some portions OF the coun-
try there are no indications OF streams or
use for them, as there seems never TO have
been any surplus water to make channels or
outlets The weak, shriveled and stunted
growth Of vegetation is no proof, however,
OF the sterility OF the Soil, but of the lack
of moisture.
LACK OF WATER.
In some portions OF this dry country
water can be easily obtained by sinking
wells in the alluviai soil from twenty Jo
fifty feet deep, and in other portions arte-
sian wells are easil ly bored, which usually
flow well at from 200 to 2, 400 feet in
depth. However, in vast majority OF
cases, say so per cent, as l am informed,
people depend for water upon basins
scooped out OF the compact earth at suit
able places which fill in the rainy season
whenever that comes. Such water re-
mains pretty good, and lasts until it is used
up or evaporates, as the earth is SO imper-
vious to water that it drinks none OF it.
For house use, outside of the better cities,
people depend almost entirely upon water
collected from the roofs OF the buildings.
Nearly all the buildings are covered with
corrugated iron, and the rain Is carried
into corrugated iron tanks, elevated above
the ground, and nakedly exposed to the
sun and weather. As there are often
months together-from three to ten-with
practically no rainto I'll 1.-The tanksfor house
use. or the r-holes for stock, we may
easily imagine how much these circum
stances would intensity the suffering from
protracted spell OF severe heat.
Imagine country SO level that for him.
drdes of miles there is no perceptible
elevation or depression, with vegetation
30 scarce that every breeze fills the ar
with clouds OF dust, with no rams for
months, and never dew; with a wind
sweeping over a scorching desert, fillingthe
clothing, the building, the eyes and lungs
with fine dust, with water constantly tepid,
and a Temperature for da ys ranging from 80
to 123 in the daytime, and from 80 to
10 in the night, and faint conception OF
interior Of Australia, for most Of the
month Of January, 1896, may be ap-
proximated.
If people could have a fresh bath,
cool glass of water, or the luxury Of q
block OF ice, there would be some sighs
of relief, but to swelter under the scorcii-
ing rays of this terrible, angry sun, that
pours down SO fiercely from the northern
heavens, with little hopes for relief, until
March or April gave notice of approach
| ing winter, brings feeling unspeakably
| depressing.
| COUNTLESS SHEEP sUCCUMBED.
| A few weeks ago / visited some OF the
great sheep runs of the interior. One
| contained 500, 1000 acres and had 800 900
| sheep on it. mime host" lived In the
center of the great sheep country and
| several "squatters' were at the mansion.
| They .'represeDted' few million sheep.
The country was like the vast, scantily
covered plain / have described. It had
| not rained over an inch or two for eight
months. There was no appearance OF
| moisture.
| The green of the shrubbery was faded
l into a dull, feeble gray, and stock was thin
and dying by thousands. One man with
400, 900 acres and 25O, 1000 sheep had 100
men constantly employed in cutting down
the boughs OF the apple and the oak, a
scrubby, thick -foliaged tree unknown in
America, for his sheep to browse on. They
could live ON this for q few weeks only. The
watergholes on the "squattages'' were near
iy dry, and it took a goodly force OF men
TO rescue or skin the sheep that were con-
stanu y perishingin their efforts to struggle
through the mire to the fast disappearing
water.
Since that time there has been very little
rain in that part of the country. Think
| what devastation and suffering a prolonged
spell of weather from I 90 to 12O degrees
| in the shade must have caused under such
l conditions.
Not onl y do people succumb to this over
powering weather and cattle die by the
thousands, but the dead bodies of wild ant
mails, such as kangaroos, rabbits, and din
goes lie scattered around everywhere, and
brilliant plumed birds parrots innumerable
and other s.noted- songsters drop dead
from the trees, this heat being more fatal
than sportsman's shot.
Reduction in Rate to Bay Ridge.
The rate to Bay Ridge. the beautiful
excursion resort on the Chesapeake Bay
has been reduced this season to 80 cents
for aauits. except for evening train a
rate OF Th cents will be charged. will
rebate of 20 cents after coupon IL STAMPED!
by ticket agent at Bay Ridge. Half rat,
for children between the ages OF s and II
years. Trains leave b. 4 @. depot, weci
Il days, 9:lS a. M. and 4:26 p. m. Sundays
9:sb a. M. 80 and S:16 p. N.