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20 RESCUED FROM BIG!
BARWON FLOOD
Army Sends 'Ducks'
to Danger Areas
SHIP IN TROUBLE IN
PORTLAND GALE
Twenty members of six farming families were res
cued by army "duck" and a boat yesterday near Birre
gurra, where the flooded Barwon river, more than four
miles wide, had inundated more than 60,000 acres of
country.
Townships on the Barwon, the Moyne and some
other Western District streams will face even worse dan
ger within the next 24 hours as flood rains pour down
from the ranges.
Forced out of Portland by a southerly gale which
whipped up huge seas early yesterday, the 10,500 tons
oil tanker lames J. Mcguire is in difficulties off the
coast with a damaged rudder and stern post.
The floods followed tor
rential rain during the past
two days.
Beech Forest has re
corded more than seven
Inches since Saturday; Two
and a quarter inches fell in
less than six hours yester
day.
Two army "ducks" were
rushed from Melbourne to
Birregurra after an urgent
appeal by the police for
help shortly after dawn.
Soon after the "ducks"
arrived at 3.30 p.m. they
rescued the first of several
families" marooned between
the Princes Highway and
the Barwon River.
The 16 persons rescued
by the "ducks" were: —
Mr. and Mrs. Les Amlet.
Mr. Leo Harding and his
wife.
Mr. Colin Whytcross, his
wife and children, Ian, 10,
and Eileen,- 13.
Mr. Whytcross's brother,
Alan Whytcross, his wife,
and son and daughter,
John, 4, and Patsy, 11.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Murdoch and their children,
Valerie, 12, and Robert,
10. /
Valerie and Robert es
caped from their marooned
home on horseback early
yesterday morning and
were picked up at Rickett's
Marsh late yesterday after
noon by an army "duck."
The second "duck" was
swept away by .a current
and became bogged when
endavoring to rescue Mr.
Tom Powell, at Birregurra
South.
Darkness came In by the
time the "duck" was re
leased and the rescue was
deferred until dawn today.
Mr. and Mrs. Powell were
on the; roof of their house
but were not in immediate
danger. ' .
Mr. and Mrs. Fred . John
ston and their two children
were rescued early yester
day afternoon ' by Frank
Howe and Doug Quinn in a
rowing boat they had
brought from Colac.
When the rescuers ar-
rived Mr. and Mrs. John
ston, Marilyn, three years,
and son Ray, two months,
were sitting in the ceiling
of their farm house.
Below them in the sit-
tingroom bedding, floated in
eight feet of water. Cattle
were also floating In the
room.
Late last night a third
army "duck" was sent to
Port Fairy to rescue a
family from whom nothing
had been heard for 24
hours. The Moyne River
had risen to a record
height.
Thousands of Stock Perish
. ._,Tiie. flood... .swept down, on
Rickett's Marsh" in the early
morning' ;and families were
marooned until late afternoon.
V All streams In the area af
fected by the heavy rains are
running bankers, and are still
rising. The Barwon is already
up to 6% miles- wide.
Fifty miles an hour gales
lashed the. floods into four-
foot waves. .
Stock losses, have been
heavy. One report received
last night from Army tage said
all -stock ;ln the district had
been lost. ' :
-Two. thousand ' sheep and
cattle' have been drowned
around Birregurra.
Police- : and fishermen" in
dinghies rescued. 300 marooned
sheep; when. the. Moyne' River
burst Its '.banks at Port Fairy.
More than .50 of ..the sheep
were drowned before they
could be reached.
twRBn..op'otivie pnd. Colas
the Princes, rfighway is cut in
84 places, and all heavy trans
port and tourist buses have
been halted.
The branch railway between
Birregurra and Forrest has
been washed away In 17
places.
The Warrnambool line was
closed for several hours yester
day when the track was dam
aged near Firron Yallock.
Washoway on
S.W. Rail Line
Hundreds of passengers on
the south-western line had to
interrupt journeys near Colac
yesterday morning, due to a
washaway of the line between
Lapent and Firron Yallock.
Passengers on. the 8.25 a.m.
Irain from Melbour;'£- t.ov>'t.'5'f '-> i
nambool were forced to' de
train at Colac.
. They were taken by bus to
Firron Yallock, and continued
their journey on the 7.30 a.m.
Warrnambool-Melbourne train,
which returned to Warrnam
bool.
All passengers " from this
train were taken by bus to
Colac, and continued their
train journey to Melbourne.
The line was cleared shortly
after 4 p.m., and normal traf
fic resumed.
MR. BOB MURDOCH, farced from his. home by the Barwon River floods, carries Mrs. L. Aimict from her house to an army duck. Help
MR. BOB MURDOCH, farced from his. home by the
Barwon River floods, carries Mrs. L. Aimict from her
house to an army duck.
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