West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Wednesday 1 April 1896, page 3


THE WEATHER IN THE

COUNTRY.

THE COUNTRY BETWEEN YOWERA-

GABBIE AND MUMBENIA.

SIXTEEN MILES UNDER WATER.

A FAMINE FEARED AT MT. MAGNET.

YALGOO, March 31.

The country between Yoweragabbie Station, twenty miles south of Mt. Magnet, and Mambeaia, is under water for a distance of sixteen miles. Teams cannot reach Mt. Magnet for two or three weeks, and a famine

is feared.

EXCITING COACHING EXPERIENCES

GOONGARRIE, March 31.

With regard to the mail coach which came to grief yesterday, the teamsters and others

on land went to work in earnest and made a life line which Mr. Walford, after two plucky attempts, tied to two tries, and the passengers passed safely along it to the land, after having had a very narrow escape with their lives. Big fires were lighted and the good natured teamsters supplied dry clothes to the otaoh-wreckod passengers. The cyclists gave the alarm at Goongarrie, and Host Williams sent necessary home comforts and a buggy and saddle horse to fetch them, but one passenger only availed himself of the buggy and returned, whilst the other three were content to wait till the tide went down. Talking over the camp fire, of course Borne blamed the driver for attempting to cross, but that is always the way. Had he soneeded in crossing he would have been a brave man, but CR lack was against him had failed. He is greatly repeated as a careful and courteous driver.

The following is an account of the trip of the Coolgwdie-Menzies coach which left Coolgardie at 6.30 a.m. on Saturday morning 28th March. At the 25-Mile the coach got bogged and the passengers had to walk on to the 25-Mile. Fresh horses were cent for 13 Coolgardie and the coaoheventually reached the 25-Mile on Saturday night and left on Sunday morning at 7 a.m. It was still raining and it took till 4 o'clock in the afternoon to reach the 42-Mile, a distance of 15 miles. The passengers had to us and most of the way and in some cases through water half a mile wide and a fool. deep. The coach stopped at the 42-Mile, the passengers being thoroughly tired out. The coach left again at 7 a.m. on Monday morning, all the pasBCicg.'ra walking and occasionally riding. The roads were very boggy. The coach got bogged 15 miles further on and the passengers were obliged to desert the coach at. d walk 10 miles to the Cane Grass Swamp. A considerable part of the distance was so flooded that they had to ship and carry their clothes on their heads, a circumstance which caused much merriment to passengers coming from Menzies who met them coming from Coodardie. These latter, as will be seen, have had a trip almost as bad as that of the Menzies passengers already recounted.

The rainfall registered at Cane Grass Swamp was six inches in about 36 hours. The water is rapidly abating.

THE QUEEN'S WAREHOUSE AT

ALBANY FLOODED.

ALB AKT, March 31.

Heavy showers fell early this morning. Forty-six points were registered. Light showers fell again later in the day. Owing to the flooded "state of the Queen's ware-house the Customs authorities have been obliged to rent stores from the Land Company and to remove thither about fifty tons of merchandise,

OFFICIAL TELEGRAM.

We are indebted to the courtesy of the Postmaster General, Mr. R. A. Sholl, for a copy of the following telegram :

ONSLOW, March 31.

The Hardy Junction mail arrived last evening. It was delayed by floods.