Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Friday 21 January 1910, page 7


THE FLOODS.

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HY THE MOREE DISTEICT

SCENE OF DEVASTATION. GREAT LOSSES OF STOCK. MANY PERILOUS EXPERIENCES.

MOREE, Thursday.

Tho flood water has receded, leaving a scene of great devastation. The body of John Rey-nolds has been recovered. Two other deaths are reported. A man named Yeomans was drowned in Barber's Lagoon, and a youth, at Tareclarol. Losses of stock cannot be esti-mated. Throughout the district hundreds of carcases of dead sheep and cattle were boruo by the local waters from Binneguy, Pallamal-lawa, Weetah, Gravesend, and other places. Up the Mehi River Glennie Bros, on mustering some surviving cattle at Yarraman discovered a young calf with the Binneguy station brand amongst theirs. It had apparently been safely borne 23 milos. Fences are completely torn away or laid flat for miles. These fences in many instances had been made rabbit-proof, and the expense of netting was being borne by the settlers by instalments.

A relief party which went to the succour of Mr. J. T. Crane, Mayor, had their boat over-turned, and spent the night on the limb of a tree, tormented meanwhile by mosquitoes, cen-tipedes, and other insects. Several attempts were made to rescue them, and eventually a party consisting of Messrs. E. T. Cook, W. W. Thompson, R. O. Walker, and W.- Kay,

effected their release.

Miss Mackenzie, of Kerrisdale, about two

miles from Moree, was alone in the house with a young brother for two days and a night. They were on the roof of the house awaiting assistance. At length a party, consisting of Messrs. W. Goward, S. Murray, G. Cloey, W. Carver, and W. Mansfield, effected their re-lease from their perilous position. Numbers of snakes and other reptiles have been killed. Many have been brought from long distances by the waters. Several bandy bandy snakes were despatched. They are a highly venom-ous snake belonging to the mountainous coun-try, and must have been borne over a hundred miles. A serious menace to the district has been caused by the dissemination of prickly pear by the flood. At Gravesend and higher up the river this pest has been for a long time prevalent, but the town of Moree and surrounding district has hitherto been im-mune, but among the flood debris the prickly pear is conspicuous, and it is feared that It has been widely spread throughout the dis-

trict.

Messrs. Kirby, Kennedy, and others who

went out to save stock, and for whose safety fears were freely entertained, have all re-turned safely after exciting experiences.

The Roman Catholic community will be heavy losers on account of the destruction of the fences round the presbytery and St. Philomena's Convent properties. The damage in that connection is estimated from £200 to £300. Early scenes of the flood wore charac-terised by the presence of unseemly larrikinism, and the promulgation of false rumours as to the deaths of well-known people. A citizens' relief committee, con-sisting of Messrs. G. A. Jones, M.L.A., J. Jamieson, P.M., the Rev. Fr. Lloyd, the Rev. J. S. H. Cawte, and others conferred, and de-cided to wait on hotelkeepers, and ask them to closo their bar premises. The request was acceded to with alacrity, and thence forward decorum reigned. Members of the Inverell Light Horse, marooned on their return from Lord Kitchener's camp, rendered invaluable service. A belated wire from Gravesend, con-veying news from Bendarra, caused great consternation, as it was anticipated that the rise of 38ft referred to therein was in ad-dition to water already come down. Whilst mustering cattle round town a bullock, with the Bangheet station brand, was discovered It had apparently come from that station, be-tween 30 and 40 miles from Moree.

Mr. James Stone, manager of Keytah sta-tion, about 30 miles west of Moree, was drowned while rescuing sheep. The body has not yet been recovered.

A rabbit-net fence, about 16 miles to the south from Moree, across the stock route, one of the best fences in the district, has been laid flat. It is reported from Pallamallawa that Mr. W. Webster, M.P., who is on an election tour, was overtaken by the flood, and had, with others, to resort to the roof of a settler named Wenham, to await the abating of the flood. There have been several washaways on the railway line between Moree and Narrabri. A ballast train has started from Moree, working towards Warialda. It is apprehended that the railway service between Narrabri and Moree will not be in working order for a week, and the service between Moree and Inverell an even more lengthened time. Much concern is felt by residents of the town, as there is a pos-sibility of shortage In food supplies.