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Tue 27 Mar 1906 - Singleton Argus (NSW : 1880 - 1954)
Page 2 - HEAVY DOWNFALL OF RAIN
HEAVY DOWNFALL OF RAIN
Washaway on th& Mountains.
A storm, with thunder and lightn
ing, and accompanied by heavy down
pours of rain, swept over that portion
of the State between the Blue Moun-
tains and Sydney late on Saturday
night and early on Sunday morning.
Sydney, was brushed by only the
fringe of it,. and it was particularly
heavy on the inountains.
A goods train, was slowly toiling up
the sharp ascent to the ' Glenbrook
tunnel, when. a flash, of lightning dis
closed something wrong ahead. The
train- was stopped, and it was found
that at the entrance to the tunnel
ten chains of line had been displanced,
while several hundred tons of earth,
and rocks had slipped down from the
hillside, covering the permanent way.
The fireman walked on to Glenbroofc,
and the superintendent of lines, Mr
Richardson, was informed by tele
graph of the occurrence by tho sta
tionmastor. A gang of workers was
sent on by a special train .to clear
the line as quickly as possible.
The train from Mount Victoria at
6 o'clock was unable to come beyond
Springwood,and was retnrned to
Estbank for the . convenience of pas
sengers. Passengers'' who left- Syd
ney by the 6.15 .p.m. train were re
turned to tie city by special. The
mails were delayed at Mount Vic
toria until the line was reported to be
clear. With, the labor available it
was anticipated that the debris- would
be removed in some nine or ten
hours.
The etorm-was the heaviest which
has been -experienced oh the moun
tains for many years past, and from
Springwood to- Penrith, and also on
the Richmond line-, ' especially at
Riverstone,; the permanent :way was
affected by the downpour. Passenger
trains from Sydney bound westward
were stopped at Penrith, .and for the
convenience of those who desired -to
return- to, Sydney specials were run.
These arrived, at Redfern at 9.30 p.m.
and 10.30 p.m..
In many of the suburbs the rain
appears to have been -much heavier
than in Sydney. Many of the streets
were flooded, and.' tho waterways
were running bankers. The Bur
wood-road was taken up for ?-a dis
tance of 150 yards, and at Ashfield
the terrific volume of water sweeping
along the' thoroughfares.' carried with,
it great quantities of road metal.
Many fine gardens ? were practically
ruined and hundreds of little garden
plots ? were damaged. Fortunately
the -storm was not of long duration,
bit it was of a very violent charac
ter while it- lasted.
A phenomenal thunderstorm, ac
companied-by . vivid; lightning and
hail, occurred'at St. Mary's. Rain
fell Juacessantly'jfor;- 70 -minutes, _j531
points being* registered. The rain
penetrated: into every house in the
.town-.- "Flood water from...the hills
ran through- many -of the :hnouses two.
feet deep.
Torrents of rain, accompanied by
hailstones, fell for ...upwards of an
hour at Penrith. To add to the se
verity of the conditions a high wind
was blowing. Tho lightning was most
vivid, and <the" thunder resembled a
continuous roar of artillery.
Picnic parties (of which there were
several) on the Nepean. River had
rather a. unique experience. About
three miles up the river is bounded by
mountainous banks. The deluge
quickly converted these into huge
waterfalls. Viewed from the safe
precincts of -a cave on the opposite
side they presented a fine spectacle.
The various creeks and inlets soon
assumed mighty proportions, and
debris of aH descriptions found its
way into the river. Trunks and
branches of trees piled up in an in
credibly short space of time, and the
river was covered witli a thick scum
which rendered navigation very diffi
cult. Opposite Eden Glassie, a won
derful sight was experienced!. The
hailstones, some of the size of
pigeons' eggs, had fallen on the
deoris covering the river, which at
this particular -spot presented a road
way newly covered with metal. Boats
could only by almost superhuman ef
forts be rowed through. With the
lightning playing on the ice a grand
sight was witnessed.
Numerous narrow escapes occurred,
but" no fatalities have been recorded.*
Floods are ; reported* from "Windsor,
?where th& river is one mass of drift
wood and rubbish.- ..-Much damage has
been done to the.maiz? potato
crops, many pigs have been swept
away, while cattle were -rescued- with
difficulty. Acres of pumpkins, melons,
'and fences hare been swept away.
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