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THE HURRICANE IN THE
NORTH-WEST
FURTHER ACCOUNTS OF THE
DAMAGE.
-TWO FATALITIES.
NARROW ESCAPES.
Roebourne, April 12.
News from Woodbrook states that the
homestead was uninjured by the recent
cyclone. A strong wind merely was
experienced, and the river ran a banker.
J. Bassett, the Tableland mailman, and a
native youth had a narrow escape from
drowning. After going through a com-
fortless night they had to swim over
swollen creeks and water courses to save
their lives.
A correspondent at Balla Balla writes
stating that Balla Balla at present
is in a most deplorable state. Most
of the buildings are totally wrecked. The
post office recently erected is de-
molished, one verandah post only standing.
McMahon's blacksmith's shop and dwelling
house are levelled. The Balla Balla Hotel
is partly disroofed, while the Freemasons'
Hotel is completely so: Hester's store has
lost part of the roof. The Chicago Hotel
and the Balla Balla woolshed are almost
in ruins. The lighter Cossack sank to the
bottom of the Creek. That part of the
road which was formed across the marsh
is swept away.
Whilst the correspondent was writing
three men on Depuche Island were signal-
ling to the shore by means of fires for help,
but the residents were unable to render
them assistance, having no boat of any
description left. The men have been on
the island since Wednesday, March 29.
Two lives were lost at Balla Balla by fly-
ing iron, and falling buildings have in-
flicted injuries on a few residents.
Mr. McMahon, who came in from Balla
Balla, reports that the storm commenced
there in earnest about 9 o'clock on Satur-
day night, setting in from an easterly
direction. It continued up to about 1
am., when it lulled for a short space
of time, and again returned from an
opposite quarter with double force. The
postmaster, when the office collapsed, was
blown a distance of 50 yards against the
wheel of a dray, to which he clung during
the night, being in an exhausted condition
when day dawned. Mrs. Gibbings and
children and Miss Hancock had a provi-
dential escape. The roof blew into the
room of which they were the occupants,
but a mattress of a bed had by some means
got on top of them and thus prevented the
falling beams and rafters from injuring
them. They were rescued from their
perilous position by a few men who, ob-
serving that the roof had fallen in, feared
that something serious had happened and
went into the house to render assistance.
The police boat has been despatched
from Cossack for Depuche Island to take
succour and render assistance to the three
castaways there. The road between Balla
Balla and Big Sherlock is in almost an
impassable condition for horseman. Sher-
lock homestead is uninjured, but the wool-
shed has disappeared entirely. The stock
suffered severely. Mrs. J. Fisher and
family spent the night in a verandah, the
house having been blown away, whilst the
river came up to the door. Between Big
Sherlock and Balla Balla hundreds oí
carcases of dead sheep are lying.
Mr. Flaxman, who has arrived at Roe-
bourne from Tableland, reports that a
heavy gale was experienced at Mount
Florence, where 7 inches 20 points of rain
fell. At Tambrey 7 inches 40 points were
recorded, but no loss of stock or damage to
property resulted. The Cooyapooya and
Springs Homesteads were uninjured. Mr.
Flaxman had a narrow escape from meet-
ing with an accident on the road. In
crossing flood waters at Andover, the
leader of the tandem he was driving
suddenly disappeared. The shafter re-
mained unmoved on the brink of what
afterwards turned out to be a deep hole,
Soon the leader re-appeared, and swam
around to the bank again.
Writing from Mallina, under date the
6th inst., tha Deputy-Mining Registrar
states that the severest cyclone and flood
that has visited the district came up on
Saturday. It took the roofs off buildings,
felled fences and swept the country for
miles around, as far as the eye could reach.
The land, excepting the hills, was inun-
dated. Mr. and Mrs. Hester and others
were obliged to wade through the water
for half-a-mile to reach dry land. In doing
so several times they were carried off their
feet by the current. The water was 2ft.
deep in Mr. Hester's house, and the fur-
niture and personal effects were destroyed.
Miles of fencing are down.
A report brought in from Mr. D. McRae,
of Croydon Station, shows that the place
fared badly. The water rose within 3ft.
of the water mark of the disastrous flood
of 1894. The kitchen and the storeroom
of the men's hut (stone buildings), the flat
half of the roof of the residence, the wool
shed, the butcher's shop, and the stables
are considerably damaged. Fortunately
the live stock were moved out of the
paddocks on to the hills the day before,
and no loss occurred. Mr. McRae says
that the hurricane set in at 7 p.m. on
Saturday, and continued to rage till 2
o'clock the next morning. The rainfall
was 12 inches.
Mr. Weston. chief telegraph assistant at
the Roebourne office, has started out with
a party of repairers to inspect the east-
ward line and endeavour to restore it.
Ten poles are down between Roebourne
and Jones' Creek, and half a mile of wire
is broken. From Jones' Creek the line is
down for a mile and a quarter, and the
wire is broken, 500 yards being buried out
of sight. Only 10 poles are standing, and
25 poles and a mile and a half of wire are
required to complete the repairs.
The flood marks indicate that the creek
rose 50ft. above its normal level, the
country for miles being under water.
Travelling is difficult owing to the boggy
state of the ground.
The manager of Mr. Mackay's Munda-
bullangana Station, for the safety of which
fears were entertained, writes to say that
that place had ten inches of rain, but no
unusual wind. The natives on the station
say that the Yule River ran higher than
ever known before. A normal loss of
stock is anticipated. Woodbrook lost
about 100 sheep.
Whim Creek suffered severely, only the
walls being left of both the Federal and
Whim Creek Hotels. The stores adjoining
and all the outbuildings were wholly
swept away, together with their contents
The water was 6ft. in the hotels. The
inhabitants betook themselves to the
tunnels of the Whim Creek Copper Com-
pany's mine for shelter. The residence of
the manager of the mine was unroofed
and otherwise damaged. A number of fat
sheep and horses were drowned. Only one
place at Towranna escaped without
damage.
Mr. Weston, later, reports that the tele-
graph line is down for 10 miles from
George River. The Sherlock River was
twelve miles wide during the flood.
The steamer Beagle has been got off
successfully, and taken to the Blocks for
the necessary repairs to be executed.
Pyramid station is all safe, but it has
not yet been ascertained what loss of
stock occurred, although this is considered
to be very small.
Roebourne, Later.
Further news has been received from
Sherlock station to the effect that the
gauge registered the rainfall as 19 inches
50 points. The barometer fell from
29-90 to 28-70 during the cyclone,
which lasted from Friday night till Sunday
morning. Mr. George Jones was in charge
of the sheep at the Salt Creek paddocks,
where a native woman was drowned. He
has sent in information to Mr. J. G.
Meares that about 40 inches of rain fell in
that locality. He passed several hours in
a tree surrounded by water. The fences
are all damaged. At the homestead
poultry of all kinds were killed by stones
which were hurled through the air.
Acme and Monopole Cycles, Williams' Type
writers ; Bicycles Built, Repair , sundries.
Splatt, Wall and Co., 361 Hay-st. Telephone
441.
$