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5 corrections, most recently by jimmyk - Show corrections

GRAFTON.  

ANOTHER FLOOD ON THE CLARENCE

RIVER, AND LOSS OF LIVES.

(From the Clarence and Richmond Examiner,

April 5.)

RAIN, rain, nothing but rain, rendering the noble and useful Clarence into a most formidable sheet of water–overflowing its boundaries, and converting immense areas of land into large lagoons, destroying the crops and sweeping all

before it. Such has been the Clarence River of   late, and on Thursday the waters again came into our town, and the continued outpouring of the waters from above, almost without interces- sion ever since, has not tended to decrease the same ; consequently all the gulleys and low lands are inundated, many parts being alto- gether inaccessible. On Thursday the river at Grafton had risen nearly 20 feet above its ordinary level, and the inhabitants were kept in constant fear that the waters would surround them and   enter their dwellings and stores ; fortunately, however, the residents in Prince-street and on the high lands were saved such a catastrophe, as about midnight on Thursday the waters commenced to recede very slowly–although every vigilance was displayod by Mr. Sub- Inspector Keegan, who whenever the waters threaten to inundate the town is most active, and the men at his command kept well posted   during the night to raise the alarm in case of danger to any of the residents, and in all cases where assistance is required he is generally found to be foremost in rendering that aid. Luckily, all danger now seems passed.

All along the river banks, particularly about Ulmarra, the slips of earth washed down are immense, acres of ground, which were laid out as tasty gardens, adorning the front of several of the gardens of our settlers, and in other parts where only a few weeks back woee most luxuriant crops of corn, all is destruction–such was the force of the current ; and the same remarks will apply to many settlers on Carr's Creek.

The crop of maize too, which this season was unusually large–on many farms the average being fully eighty bushels to the acre, whilst not a few expected not less than one hundred bushels to the acre–the greater part of which is destroyed, the damage in this respect being occa- sioned more particularly by the severe gale which visited the district on a late occasion–as mentioned in our last issue–beating down the corn, and the continued rain has caused it to grow and rot on the cob, and prevented even the young crop from regaining its original erect position, so essential to ensure a perfect yield. We feel sure from personal observation that nearly one half the crop has been destroyed, whilst some have lost their all. According to

the estimate of the farmers themselves, not a third of the maize will be saved ; we hope, how- ever, in this respect, for their own sake as well as the prosperity of the district, that our esti-

mate will be found to be nearer the truth, and thus our settlers will be enabled to weather the storm of a continued succession of floods with which we have this season been visited.

At Tabulam, the two boats used for conveying   people over the river at that part, owned by Messrs. Chauval and Synge, have been swept away, together with several head of cattle and horses owned by the former gentlemen, the cattle being in a paddock awaiting delivery to Mr. Hewitt, the butcher ; we are enabled to state, however, that the whole of the cattle and

horses carried down succeeded in making the banks, and will be recovered.

Of course, during this very trying season, we have been without telegraphic communication, occasioned not by flood only, but, as we men-

tioned in a former issue, owing to the kind of   timber used in the construction of the line, the   greater part of which requires to be replaced. At the present time the interruption is occa- sioned by a portion of the line destroyed by the waters at Tabulam, which will take some time to repair, so that we are not likely to have a circuit   for some days yet. This is the more annoying,   as at a time like the present, when the mails cannot travel, it would be invaluable as a medium   of correspondence.

After what we have stated, it is almost unne- cessary to add, that traffic with the interior is a   matter of utter impossibility.

His Honor Judge Francis, Mr. Brennan, Crown Prosecutor, and Mr. Perrott, the Clerk of the Court, arrived about two p.m. on Sunday,           having crossed the river at Tabulam on a raft formed of ceder logs. Great praise is due to       them for the indomitable spirit of perseverance which must have been required to induce them to push through on such a journey, which was     not only very wet, but attended with some risk to personal safety ; and which nothing but a high sense of duty could have prompted these gentlemen to undertake. By their arrival we     learn that the weather around New Engluid had been similar to what we have experienced,

and that the roads are in a fearful state. The

weather is now fine, but how long it is likely to remain, we cannot even venture a conjecture ;     suffice it to say, we are much in need of fine   weather, having had upwards of three months'

rain.

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