BABINDA ALMOST BLOWN AWAY. - FIFTY PEOPLE INJURED. A TRAIN BLOWN OVER. Cairns, March 14. - Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 - 1954) - 15 Mar 1918 (original) (raw)

During yesterday morning mes-

sages were received that Babinda

had been almost blown away. A spe-

cial train was arranged for and me-

dical men with an ambulance staff at

once proceeded to Babinda. All the

way out the effect of the cyclone

could be seen. At Gordonvale there

had been a lot of damage to dwell-

ings. At Aloomba a church was

knocked about and residences twist-

Babinda is in a frightful condition.

Places have been flattened as far as

the eye can see in all directions.

The State hotel was partly unroofed

and the side verandah twisted. Over

fifty people were more or less injured

at Babinda by falling timber and

iron. About sixteen cases were

brought into Cairns last night, these

being the most serious. Mr. McLean,

secretary of the Babinda Cane Grow-

ers' Association, lost his house. The

ambulance quarters were stripped of

the roof, but were able to give shel-

ter in the lower quarters. Mr. Favel,

the schoolmaster, lost his house, and

a contractor named Bell lost all he

possessed, house and furniture being

Cane in different parts of the dis-

trict was levelled with the ground.

It is estimated that the damage to

the State Hotel is nearly £3000.

A whole train was blown over at

the Babinda railway station.