Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), Saturday 30 September 1899, page 12


BROKEN HILL.

BROKEN HILL, September 27.

John Anderson, while trying to escape from a runaway truck in Messrs. Baxter and Saddler's open cut, Proprietary mine, last night, jumped some distance, and, failing on his head, fractured his skull. He was taken to the hospital, where he lies in a serious condition.

Very light rain fell last night and at long intervals to-day. The total fall was very little. The local land board has just had the Caryapundy Swamp. Torrens Creek, and' the Boulka Lake and (juinyambi improvement leases under consideration. Mr. Sidney Kidman, who holds Caryapundy for Messrs. Kidman Brothers, says his holding is 'one of the worst -in New South Wales. 'He alleges that the 54,200 acres might carry 250 cattle, but no more. Much of it is a claypan, which never has, and never will, carry feed. Tanks cannot be maintained (here because the Bulloo floodwaters silt t hem up, and wells cannot be sunk because ut 5 ft. or so salt water is struck. Where it might otherwise be of use the country is covered with a tangled mass of polygonum scrub. The board fixed the rent at Id. for five acres. Holders of improvement leases in the district sought a remission of rent and an extension of time to make the improvements which they undertook to carry out. The annual rainfall during the last three or four years at Quinyambi was shown to have averaged under 5 in., and the board concluded that the Minister for Lands might well grant very liberal concessions witli regard to the leases.