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THE MITCHELL RIVER IN
FLOOD.
EXPECTED TO BE THE
BIGGEST ON RECORD.
RAILWAY LINE DAMAGED.
TELEGRAPIUC COMMUNICA
TION INTERRUPTED.
THE TOWN WITHOUT GAS OR
.....WATER.
HEAVY LOSSES OP MAIZE
ANTICIPATED.
THE GOODS SHED WASHED
AWAY.
INELUX OFOCHINESE AT THE
CAMP.
Yesterday the residents of Bairs
dale. who were up Ibetimes were sur.
prisced to see by the swollen state of
the Mitchell River that another die.
astrous flood was imminent. Some
few there certainle were'who doubted
up to the last that any extraordinary
rise worthy of the name of a flood
could take place, regarding the heavy
rain that had fallen the two previous
days as being ch;efly :local and not
likely to cause anything greater than
perhrps a temporary overflow. But
the residents of the flats, who have
learned to their cost the suddenness
with which the river can rise, and the
loss and suffering it can inflict in an
incredible bhort space of time, on this
occasion took time by the forelock,
and prepared to remove their live
stock, chattels and effects. They had
not taken action a moment too soon, for
though at seven o'ciock the river had
only encroached on the wharf and the
law lying land thereabouts, and did not
appear to be rising very fast, another
hour complhtely changed the aspect of
matters, and by ten o'clock the water
had reached the height it attained in
June, 1S00. In every respect it pre
cented the same aspect as last year,
a great surging, muddy volume of
water rushing down, and spreading
itself everywhere; people hurrying up
to the high lands from the flats to
take refuge; live stock taking fright
and running about the paddocks to be
ultimately engulphed; boats out
everywhere manned by volunteer
crews, and every description of debris
being carried down stream. It was a
fearful and wonderful sight, and to
those who had not seen it taking
place it seemed almost incredible. As
was the case last year, the Chinese
were the only people who were stolidly
indifferent to their own safety, and to
rescue these, who are plentifully
scattered over the various maize fields
of "the Mitchell Valley, was a
Iwork full of diffieulty and danger.
They have always almost literally
to be dragged out of their
homes, and even then think seem.
ingly that they are being cruelly
treated. With them past experience
seems to count for nothing, and the
great majority of them would infinitely
prefer to risk being drowned in their
huts or sheds to being forced to leave
them and their maize to the mercy of
the elements. Fartunately, there are
always plenty of volunteers willing and
able, at such a time as this, to render
aidl and assistance, and to even risk
their own lives in the heroic
work of rescuing others, otherwise it
would go hard with the Chinese
population at flood times. The great
surprise of yesterday was the collapse
of the railway line near Providence
Ponds Fortunately the accident that
hefel the morning train to Melbourne
at that spot was unattended with loss
of life or serious injury to anyone.
Tihe interruption of telegraphic com.
munication to so many places caused a
great deal of inconvenience to be felt,
and probably never before was the town
so completely shut off from outside in
tercourso. That the flood will be a
calamitous one to the entire district
cannot be doubted, and to very many
persons it will prove a serious blow.
It would be idle, however, to even
attempt to approximate the loss at the
present time. The utmost we can do
under the circumstances is to ympna.
thiso with all those who will be sulferers
by it.
THE CHURCHES.
The heaviest shower of rain cn
Sunday evening fell between four and
six o'clock, and had the effect of flood
ing all the principal street channels,
while on many of the footpaths water
was running several inches deep. The
rain moderated considerably towards
seven o'clock, but the footpaths,
streets and roads, were in such a
dreadful state that churchgoers re
sioing any distance from their ro
lspective places of public worship
would not venture out, and, as a con
acsquence, whore service was held the
attendance was very limited. St.
MTary's did not remain open beyond
a few minutes past seven o'clock, and
at S,. Andrew's, immediately opposite,
only a short service, lnsting about
half an hour, was hold. MIr Ghent, of
the Church of Christ, who lives some
distance out, could not come in, and
the unlikelihood of him attempting to
reach town in such weather being
anticipated by the church officers, no
attempt was made to hold service in
the Christian Chapel. Full services
were given in St. John's and at the
\esleyan Church to small congrega.
lions. Last Sunday was the eighth
Sunday in succession that it has been
extremely wet in Bairnsdtle, and the
congregations for that time as a con.
sequence have been much below the
average, except at St. John's, where
the mission services conducted by IMr
Grubb, in spite of the inclemency of
the weather, drew crowded atten
dances the two previous Sundays.
ACCIDENT TO THE BAIIRNS
DALE TRAIN.
The 5.50 up train left Bairnedalo for
Melbourne as usual yesterday morn.
ing, but when it had reached Fernbank
the officials there cautioned the driver
to keep a sharp loak out on the lino,
in case the heavy rain of the previous
evening might have caused a subsi.
dance in the low-lying portions. On
leaving Fornbank heo train proceeded
at a slow pace, and shortly afterwards
was brought to a complete standstill
to enable the driver to take a survey
further aonhead. As far as ho could see
there was no water on the line; the
rails and ballast were visible and the
track appeared to be in a sound condi
tion. t Still, Botterill (the ,driver)
deemed it;.prudent to. proceeil' can
tionsly, nnd he simply kept the train
moving at a crawling pace. To his
consternation, and that also of the
passengers, when about a mile and a
alftout of Fornbank, the line suddenly
collapsed. The fireman, Holt, was
thrown off the engine, and the latter,
after ploughing into the track to a
depth of four feet, becaue firmly
embedded after canting over. One of
the carriages was also derailed and
stuck fast into the track, its foremost
end sinking down considerably. For
tunately, Holt, the fireman, was found
to have escaped Without injury.
Neither were any of the passengers
injured. But their escape from a
serious accident was miraculous. The
portion of the line where the accident
occurred was never regarded as dan.
gerous, and had it not been for the
thoughtfulness of the officials at Fern
bank, and the extreme caution exer.
cised br Botterill, a great smnash.up
could not have been averted. Word
was at once sent to Bairnsdalo
and Stratford, and an engine and car
riages were sent out from the
latter station to take on the mails and
passengers. Mr Dyte, the station.
master here, also sent forward an
engine and carriages, as well as all
the available men he could spare, and
by the afternoon a gang of 100 work
men were employed in effecting re
pairs and clearing the line. Some of
the passengers who left Bairnsdale in
the morning returned by the goods
train that came in at one o'clock. The
passengers and mails by both the up
and down trains yesterday afternoon
were sent away and brought in as
usual, a temporary footway having
been made on the line to allow of
passengers walking across the damaged
portion from one train to the other.
This of course naturally causes a
delay in the arrival of the trains here.
yesterday evening's not steaming into
the station until close upon five o'clock.
THE PUNT FLAT.
The scene at the Punt Flat and in
the vicinity of the wharf is precisely a
foa simile of the one witnessed on the
morning of the 26th June, 1890.
From the Imperial hotel upwards to
Chapman's boarding house all the
houses have several feet of water in
them, and on the opposite side, from
Jackson's tannery to the foot of the
hill on which stands the police station,
is a veritable sea, stretching right
across to the higher lands on the other
side of the backwater, the tops of the
trees in the Mitchell Gardens, the top
story of the tannery and the upper
portion of Macleod's chicory kiln, being
the only recognisable land marks.
The centre approach to the wharf still
stands high and dry, though in a
dreadfully wet and sloppy condition,
and communication with Bairnedale
East and Lucknow is as yet uninter
rupted. Most of the residents on the
Punt Flat, on rising yesterday morn
ing, took in the situation at a glance,
and, lost no time in taking steps to
have their household furniture and
effects removed up to Bairnsdale. In
this work the furniture vans and
parcel expresses of the town, together
with the lorries of the shipping agents,
were engaged until a late hour in the
forenoon. The local agents of Messrs
Permewan, Wright and Co, were
early astir, and they rendered signal
service with their powerful horse teams
and well-equipped lorries. They first
directed their attention to removing
the perishable goods from inside the
shed on the wharf. These comprised,
amongst other articles, £1000 worth
of kangaroo skins and 100 bags of
maize, which were taken to the stores
of Messrs Permewan, Wright and Co.
A quantity of timber, ex schooner
Marthn, which was lying on the wharf,
and consigned to Mr F. Neal, was
kindly placed in the goods shed by the
employes of Mesers Permewan, Wright
and Co., and it was thus saved from
being washed away. At seven o'clock
Mr Neal saw the timber on the wharf,
as he stood on the opposite side of the
river, and determined to have it re
moved when he came into town. In
the meantime the local managers of
Messrs Permewan, Wright and Co.
anticipated matters and removed it.
It is fortunate that they did so, as
when Mr Neal came into town an hour
later the wharf was completely sub.
merged, and he came to the conclusion
that his timber had been bodily carried
down with the flood until informed
that it had been removed.
THE BRIDGES.
The water rose almost to the love
of the decking of the bridge across thb
Mitchell River at Wy Yunag, and
traffic across it had therefore to be
stopped. The approaches to it, it was
said, were either carried away or very
considerably damaged, later in the day.
The river at this point was not run
ning near so strong as r.t the old
bridge lower down, and the shire
laborers had some difficulty, when they
got the debris clear of the piles, in
getting it started down stream, so
weak was the current. At the old
Mitchell bridge, however, logs and
heavy debris came down at the rate of
about five miles an hour, and hero a
good gang of men was kept to prevent
any accumulation taking place. The
approach on the east side of the river
was covered with water close up to the
end of the bridge. On the Forge
Creek road the approach to Cobbler'o
Creek bridge, on the IBairusdale side,
was washed away, and Mr Ml. Power,
vwho was crossing on horseback, had a
narrow escape of losing his life. Mr
Albert Waeton had a miraculous
escape after leaving MAr Bailey's in at.
tempting to cross Merry's Creek, atnd
lir J. alnrtin also had an unpleasant
adventure on the Forgo Creek road.
All the approaches to the various
hridges in the shire have been more or
less damaged, it is feared, and it will
tako a large rum of money to place
them and tlhe roads itn good repair.
TIH G~S WORKS SUIi
MEROGD.
One of tle first places to be sub.
merged, once the full rush of water
come down, was the Bnirnsdalo gas
works, whore the firee were quickly
put out by the food, and the gns
supply of the town abruptly stopped.
Immediately this became known hotel.
kcopers and 'others made arrange.
ments to have their houses lighted
with keroseone oil, But the , streets
last night wore of -ednrao'in complete
darkness, and all the plances appeared
to be but dingily lighted. The me.
chanics' institute was not open, but it
is likely by to-night arrangements will
have been completed for a supply of
lamps and kerosene oil, and the read
ing room and library will be open aa
usual.
THE TOWN WITHOUT WATER.
Early in the afternoon .the engineer
of the Bairnedale Water Supply Trust
notified that in coureluence of the
pumping station being under water,
and the works therelore being un
workable, the water supply had been
cut off. It was considered adn
visable to do 'this while the
reservoir was full, and there.
by keep a supply on hand in a ease of
an emergency or an outbreak of fire.
Those of the townspeople whose only
supply of water was that supplied by
the trust realised that while there
might be " water, water everywhere,"
they had "not a drop to drink."
THE BOAT SHEDS.
The members of the Bairnedalo
Rowing Club succeeded in getting all'
their valuable racing boats out of their
boathouse before the flood came upon
them, with the exception of two.
These two latter, it is thought, will
not suffer any injury.. Mr Martin,
the boatbuilder, who took warning by
last year's flood, and erected a two
storey building on the river bank, had
been keeping himself prepared for
any emergency during the past month.
Most of his boats he had moored to a
tree on the centre of the river bank,
keeping one attached to the upper
portion of his building, and when the
water rose his boats rose with it, and
are now safely afloat, riding many feet
above the crown of the road. One
had turned bottom up, and in this
position it remained when darkness
closed it to view.
AT PICNIC POINT.
A very extensive view of the flood
waters, and of the damage being done,
was obtaidable at Picnic Point, where
Mr W. Jefferson, the shire overseer,
was in charge of a rescue party. He
and Mr J. Bills had a hard and trying
time from early in the morning. They
succeeded in saving about 18 head of
cattle and horses, and 15 sheep. The
sheep belonged to Mr A. J, Webb.
One of the animals that unfortunately
perished was a prize ram belonging to
that gentleman.
MACLEOD'S MORASS.
By far the most extensive view of
the great volume of water that has
come down can be obtained from the
vicinity of Mnr A. J. facleod's private
house, where the great morass
stretches for miles towards Eagle
Point as one large lake. This gentle.
man, all will regret to learn, will be
one of the heaviest losers by the flood.
He has a great quantity of chicory
either under water or washed away,
while the cooling shed of his kiln is
many feet deep in water. This
calamity comes with double severity
just now, as it is but a few months
since he sustained a heavy loss by
the burning of his kiln. In his losses
he will have the sympathy of every
THE LINDENO'W FLATS ALL
FLOODED.
Early in the forenoon telegrams
came through to Sergeant Mullany
and ourselves reporting that the flats
at Lindenow had been inundated, and
that the flood was expected to be an
exception:ally large one. The sergeant
at once sent out a boat and an officer
to assist in the work of rescue, and to
supplement the efforts being made by
Constable .O'Brien, who is stationed
theoe, and the residents, to get the
Chinese living on the flats removed to
places of safety. As was the case last
year, the greatest difficulty was ex
perienced in persuading the unfortu
nate creatures to abandon their huts,
and in some instances physical force
had to be used to drag them into the
boats. In not a few instances it was
at the peril of losing their own lives
that the rescue parties in and around
Lindenow succeeded in reaching the
Chinese and landing them on terra
firma. The saving of live stock also
occupied the attention of the police
and others, and it is highly satisfactory
to learn that their efforts, so far as
could be ascertained up to yesterday
evening, had been wonderfully success.
ful, considering the many dangerous
difficulties with which they had to con
tend. Mr Turner, of Bairnedale, who
accompanied Constable Lizars to
Lindenow, was instrumental, we learn,
in saving 2G0lives-22 Chinese, two
Europenn women and two children.
Two of the Chinese stubborly re.
fused to leave their places, but ultima.
tely they were handcuffed and forced
into the boat.
Wiring to the sergeant at 3.45 p.m.
yesterday, Mounted Constable O'Brien
said :--The river hero is 2 feet higher,
and is now running over the southern
portion of the Coongulmerang bridge.
The flood is expected to be the
heaviest ever known here.
A second message, sent nearly three
hours later, viz., at 7.37 p.m., from
Constable O'Brien to Seoreant Mul
any, says:-The river is still rising
slowly. Rise expected to continue
during the night. Still raining heavily
here.
(Br ELEcrtrI T'iLEnAnPI.)
(PFoRM OUR ows conuRSPONDENT.)
Coooturs an, Csa, Mfonday Evening.
It rained here intermittently during
Saturday night and Sunday. The rain
that fell on Sunday night could notdo
othertlhan create a local flood. Every
watercourse being already gorged, the
falling rsjhi"was a contribution to the
already sw'olhi'p river. At about four
o'clock this Mfonday) morning the
flood water could be.' :stinctly heard,
although'ab'ijt' nile distant, surging
along like a rushhiig wind, and would
no doubt b6 haistiken for that by the
uninitiated. The flooded state of the
river at dayljgbt''eould surprise no
reasopaile ,,,person. Skull Creek
Bproved to b9.eoosllderably more than a
bank''r, Buttlhe worst is yet to come.
It is still rainingphd as threateniugae
ever, 'ad if it has rained as hard in the
mountains, the )argo witer alone
wouldt",iot rioeoh,ua before late this
evening. It in this no. do?bt that has
caused the second' ndden rise. The
losa that .siai.hevagl p ra ie at present
probl smtI~j'htthero:nppears to be
every probability of our experiencing a
big rgcord. o psalbip O'Brioen, al.
thougft edttUeugly e lame, having been
kioked by his horse, is energetically
doing his duty, rendering assistance
whore necessary with a shire boat.
NARROW ESCAPES.
Mir )M. Power, Mr Albert Watson,
MBr J. Martin and Mr S. Pearson, all
had very narrow escapes of losing their
lives yesterday through having to swim
their horses. A volunteer boat'screw,
consisting of Mr J. M'Carrick, Mr J.
Pearson and Mr Charles.Hopkins were
also reported to be in danger at one
time, but we are pleased to say they
got back safely. They had not off to
rescue some Chinese across the river.
TWO CHINESE IN PERIL.
It was reported yesterday afternoon
that one of the numerous boating
parties that were out rescuing Chinese
was unable, either by the 'use of
physical force or other means, to in
duce two of them to quit their sheds,
although the buildings were sub
merged and their lives in -danger.
Ultimately the rescuers loft the
Chinese to their fate. If this report
should prove to be true, it'is more
than likely, with the rise that took
piaca in the river last night, that there
will be no tidings of those two stub
born Chinese this morning.
TELEGRAPHIC COMIMIUNICA.
TION INTERRUPTED.
To add to the other inconveniences
of the flood, there was no telegraphice
communication yesterday afternoon to
either Melbourne or intermediate
towns, Dargo, Omeo, Cunniughame or
Orbost.
THE SHIPPING.
The steamer traffic yesterday to and
from Bairnsdale was of courso sus
pended, the river being too dangerous
for navigation purposes. Early in the
morning the schooner Martha, which
had been lying at the wharf discharg.
ing cargo from IMelbourno, cast off her
moorings and glided down stream,
bringing up at the willows, where she
was safely moored at dusk last night.
The steamer J.C.D., on the instruc
tions of her owner, did not come
beyond Paynesville, and it is unlikely
that she will be able to resume her
usual running before Wednesday.
A COW. SAVES ITS.CALF.
In their frantic efforts to get away
from the" rushing waters, the live
stock on the flats were driven hither
and thither. Where it was possible to
render assistance, boatmen risked a
great deal to save a dumb animal.
When the flood was at about its worst
a curious but interesting spectacle
was witnessed by the spectators above
the Mitchell River bridge. A cow
and calf, after being driven off the
only vantage ground to be seen
around, had at last to strike out.
By some means the calf got
astride the back of the cow,
and in this position the two were car.
ried rapidly down stream, through the
bridge and past the wharf. Thoe cow
then managed to get into still water
on the opposite side of the river, and in
swimming past the slip headed up
there and succeeded in landing itself
and its calf on dry land, from which
place they were taken to higher
ground, out of the reach of the flood,
much to the gratification of all who
had witnessed the e::ploit.
TAMBO AND NICHOLSON
DISTRICTS.
Though our correspondent at Bru.
then last night reported that the river
there was not as high as during the,
recent flood, a visitor from the Tambo
and Nicholson districts yesterday as
sured us that the country there was
one vast sheet of water, and that the
Nicholson River was over the decking
of the bridge.
S THE STATE SCHOOLS.
The bell of the Bairnsdalo state
school was rung at the usual hour yes
terday morning, but out of an average
attendance of 500, only about 100
scholars were present. No attempt
was made to open the Lucknow state
school, all the roads in that locality
being in an impassible state.
THE BIAIRNSI)ALE SCIHOOL OF
MINES
There being no supply of gas, the
night classes at the Bairnsdalo School
of Miunes could not be held yesterday
evening.
THE BAIRNSDALE COLLEGE.
The croning classes inl canneetion
with the Bairnedale College could not
be held last night for the same reason
as caused a suspension of the classes
at the school of mines-no gas.
LOSS OF LIFE AT WALHALLA.
A telegram came through yester
day morning stating that three lives
lhad been lost at \Valhalla. One of
those whoso death the public will
lament is Mr O, P. Wlhitelaw, the
well known mining surveyor. We
tried later in the day to obtain eon
firmation of the report, with full par.
ticulars, but unfortunately the break
in the line had not been repaired up
to a very late hour last night.
TIHE GOODS SIHED.
About ten o'clock last night, the
goods shed on the UliJrnsdalo wharf
gave a loud crash and disappeared
with all its contents.
THE VERY LATEST.
At two o'clock this morning, when
we paid our last visit to the bridge,
the water was within three feet of the
decking. It was fluctuating consider
ably, rising rapidly and falling almost
as quickly. The weather was ex
tremely wet, heavy rain falling, and
the four men in charge, O'Grady, S.
Parker, W. Parker and Dwyer, had a
most unenviable position.
The Melbourne train did not come
through this morning. The Bairns
ldalo engine and carriages proceeded to
Providence Ponds and waited there till
past one o'clock, at which hour there
were no tidings at Stratford of the
Melbourne train. The Bairnedalo
train then returned empty, it being
considered that the other train would
not be allowed to cross the Avon, the
bridge across which stream was re
ported yesterday evening to be away
tng. Stratford is also flooded.
TIHE IAINFALL.
Fo'r Saturday, Aug. 1... ... 0.39 polats.
For Sunday, Aug. 2 ... ... 3 48 iethos.
For Monday, Aug. 3... .. 078 points.
Up to31t August, 1800 ... 24.t .lnhes.
Up to 3rd August, 1891 ... 80.75 inches.
$