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THURSDAY 16th March
Mr. Gus King, who had a boat at South Maitland, did noble service, and three young fellows named Edward Ryan, Frank Vincer, and Foster on a raft secured a weighbridge which had been washed away, and later on saved a woman and two children from a house in Catherine Street, trotting mare valued at £50, owned by jockeys C. Pearson and J. McMahon was saved by Mont. Ryan, Messrs. Daly and Rooney moved Mr. H. G. Tuck's horses out of the stable, at Rosebrook and Hillsborough Mrs. James Troy, and Messrs. A. Bambach, Hartcher, and Cleary, had homes washed away together with crops and farming implements. At Mr. J. J. McNeall's coach factory in High Street just below the railway crossing the water was very high and caused great destruction. Mr. Nixon and family took safety in the upper floor of the show room fronting High Street and were driven higher and higher by the advance of the water till at last they were closed in and had to be rescued through the windows.
THURSDAY 16th March
Mr. G. Eckford only two horses left out of a large drove, one found on the topmost step of the old grandstand on the Park, which was further ornamented by a house belonging to Mr. McAuliffe, which was swept from South Maitland. The premises of Mr. Hill were turned completely over and he had two cows killed, water was a considerable height in St. Paul's Church, and up some feet on the organ, in Louth Park houses of W. O'Connell, Mrs. Connors and Mr. E. O'Connell's, occupied by Mr. Masterman, were all washed away, part of Mr. W. Grant's on the Louth Park road has disappeared, Mr. Edwards and wife and Mr. Eastcott an aged man sought refuge on the hay stack of the former people and remained there till rescued by boats, Mr. C. Watters had a similar experience, finding refuge on the hay stack of Mr. Geo. Grant, there is robbery of people's property, either in the flooded houses or from where it lodges, Mr. Geo. Grant’s hay stack floated onto East Maitland road, and some persons stole the galvanized iron from it, large number of cattle and horses drowned, Mr. Dahlen and others at Mr. Sloan's, on the Louth Park Road, had to take refuge on the roof, they and Mr. Sloan and family were rescued on Friday morning, Mr. Dahlen's roof was off his house and his horses were drowned. Messrs Kerin and Stevens managed to save their own stock in their hearse house in Hunter Street, a cow could make out her reflection in the glass of the hearse, and when seen was trying to show fight, but had not sufficient room to make a butt that would have caused some damage.
Carrington Terrace in Hunter Street was flooded to a depth of four feet. The embankment from the Belmore Bridge to Gilligan's Port Maitland Inn in the Horseshoe Bend has remained intact, the face of the stone escarpment is washed clean of all debris. At its highest the flood covered the roadway in front of the Infants Public School, in Elgin-street, and flooded all but a few people up to Barry's Railway Hotel, where the water came a few inches on the floor. Beyond the old Black Horse Inn, now known as Englefield, fences were taken away. Mr D. Ley, who keeps a chemist's and bookseller's shop, lost heavily, as no great preparation by way of removal of goods was thought to be needed, seeing that no flood has ever before invaded East Maitland. Mr. H. Dewar on the opposite side of the street, has an extensive stock of drapery and grocery, damage must be rated at hundreds of pounds, unexpectedness of the flood in East Maitland aggravated the calamity there, torrent of water over portion of Melbourne Street was a considerable surprise to people who had been left high and dry in former floods, even the greatest. Other streets also suffered, at the rear of Mr. Evatt's Bank Hotel the water was 3 feet deep. The height in the post office was five feet. A child was rescued on a haystack at Pitnacree, and was taken to East Maitland, the stack floated down river, and persons went to the rescue of the child, omnibuses of Messrs. James Watson and Co. continued to ply between West and East Maitland during most of the flood, Raworth Railway platform under water, water came with great rapidity across Phoenix Park, no time to pack up, hundreds of articles lost, persons left with only clothing they had on, Mr. Eales, of Duckenfield, lost over fifty head very valuable horses, water high up in Hinton Hotel, severe damage done all round Hinton.
Five deaths in 1893 flood, three in Louth Park, inquests held 14th March. James Hunt, 65 years, attempting to rescue property, was carried away in the flood waters, accidentally drowned. John James Wall with Hunt on mother’s farm, drowned in the water at Louth Park. Catherine Alderson, of Louth Park, body recovered inside house in three feet of water under chest of drawers, drowned. John William Dean 31, body found at Fishery Creek, was swept from his horse and drowned. Edward Weller, 70, lived on road between the High Street railway station and the Victoria Bridge, body, very much bruised, in shocking condition, recovered in ceiling, suffocation .
At Branxton, most disastrous flood ever, very rapid rise to record height, Thos. Cullen, rescued Mayne family from balcony of Branxton House in flat-bottomed skiff, at midnight Mr. Foreman, teacher, and Mr. J, Russell, hastily constructed a raft, took off Mr. Smallshawe and others from balcony of Commercial Hotel, water five to six feet higher than great flood 1857, P. Bendeich and J. Harrigan heaviest losers, much valuable stock and household effects destroyed, Sisters of Mercy welcomed all seeking refuge at the Convent, windows of Bendeich's shop broken, Ward's Hotel damaged considerably, Alexander and George Russell and George Hewitt drowned in flood waters of Black Creek when boat over turned, enormous loss at Elderslie, George Thrift's and Robert Moore's houses swept away, bridge intact.
Cottage of Mr. Fairhall, of Mount Pleasant Street, with its contents was swept across paddocks and fences, and onto the Long Bridge. At Largs on Thursday Messrs. E. W. Brierly, Senior-constable Kennedy and Constables Fletcher and Martin worked very hard all day, in Mr. Vickery's house at Bolwarra, in great danger were Miss Nott, and two little boys, Mr. Vickery attempted to reach them in a boat, but after battling the stream for four hours had to give up, the boat at Largs, manned by those above mentioned, was sent for, it was three hours before they rescued the inmates, houses of Messrs. Jacob and Meade at Bolwarra were wrecked, and a large portion of Mr. John Rourke's garden washed away. Rainfall, Paterson 20 inches, Morpeth 24 inches.
SATURDAY 18th MARCH 300 feet of the west end of the Long Bridge carried away, Roads Department working night and day, have completed a temporary footbridge over gap, great convenience for people at Campbell's Hill and as the train was running from Singleton to a little past the Farley station, passengers could reach the town on foot by that means; otherwise taken by boat across to West Maitland station,later trollies taken along the submerged line to West Maitland,through traffic will be resumed by Thursday night or yesterday. Control of the flood boats in hands of Mr. Lewis Morris, so that he could organise crews, impossible to mention all the deeds of heroism performed by crews, following are persons who were especially noticeable in this respect
FLOOD BOATS No. 1.-W. Morris, H. Morris, J. Goodman, Jim Scobie, W. Leopold, and E. Goodman.
No. 2.-L. Morris, Gus. King, W. Fields, W. Mullard, R. Brown, J. Carlton.
No. 3.-J. Taylor, H. Bussell, Mont. Adams, B. Bogan, J. Cox, H. Shoesmith, and Constable Winsor.No. 4.-R. James, J. Boyle, J. Webb, and J. Varley.
Mr. M. Ford informs us flood was highest ever known at Buchanan, a good deal of property destroyed, he himself lost 17 horses and three head of cattle, at Bishop's Bridge, height of flood water unprecedented, Wollombi end of bridge carried away, several in locality had to leave their houses, Maitland back water extends out to locality, greatest loss in stock, Mr. Wolfe, Mr. Nichols, and Mr. Bouffier have lost over 100 head.
