The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-06-18
RAINS IN AUSTRALIA
Heavy DoWngour Causes Rivers
CT Country to Overflow,
Great Havoc Is Wrought ard People
Are Compelled to Seek Refuge on
Roofs ard in Trees-One
Whole Family Drowned.

Sydney, N. S. W.-The great event
of the year thus far in Australia has
been the disastrous floods in the
northwest of New South Wales caused
by a phenomenal rainfall. The vari-
Gus rivers overlooked their banks and
poured their contents over the sur
rounding plains and into adjacent
towns. Tamworth was the first to be
submerged, then followed Narrabri.
Wee Waa Moree, Warialda and
number of smaller towns. Moree is a
thriving town near the Gwydir, 400
miles from Sydney. 1t is the present
terminus of the railway to the north
west and is surrounded by far-stretch-
ing plains of porous black soil, rich
with luXuriant grass on which browse
thousands of sheep.
The mayor of Moree, who happened
to live a little distance out of town,
was cut off by the flood and had to
wade with his family through four
feet of water for corrugated iron
roof, where he remained under the
sweltering sun for three days till the
water subsidized. Fortunately he had
plenty of provisions in the house. and
was lucky enough to catch drowning
sheep, as it drifted past, which was
speedily killed and cooked so soon as
the stove had sufficiently dried. In
this, as in many similar cases, the
telephone proved of immense. use, en-
abling the inmates to communicate
with the town and to arrange for the
sending out of relief party to rescue
boat load Of people, who had cap
sized in front of the mayors house
and had been forced to remain in the
trees all night. In another case
brother and sister were perched on
roof for three days, and boat was
hurriedly constructed in town to take
them some food.
Funds were Immediately started in
Sydney and in different towns for the
relief of the sufferers which speedily
amounted to thousands of pounds. Al
most everybody lost something, many
being totally ruined, while several lost
their lives. In one case whole FAM
lily, including women and children, at
Wee Waa, where the food was at its
worst, left their homestead in boat
accompanied by police constable
The current dashed them against a
tree, the boat capsized and the whole
party was drowned, excepting only
the constable, who is not expected to
recover. In another case, which illus
trates the wide extent of the country
devastated by the flood, a whole boat
load was missing for week, carried
hither and thither by the current and
seeing nothing but water during the
whole time.
Since 1864 no other such calamity
has occurred in this part of Australia,
and those who remember the flood
of that year say that this was still
worse. The most remarkable feature
about it was the promptitude and
celebrity with which the people every
where rose to the occasion, relieved
the sufferers, repaired the bridges,
mended the roads, burned the car
casses, cleaned their houses, restored
| their communications, and, in fact,
did everything that was humanity pos
i sible to undo the damage, which could
hardly have been foreseen, and little
of which could have been prevented in
any case.