Flood in the Hunter- West Maitland and Neighborhood, After Water had abated four Feet.

Very rare view of the flooding that occurred in Maitland in 1870.

Contemporary description of the flood: During the late extraordinary weather, Maitland and its vicinity has been the scene of numerous disastrous floods. The frequent lulls in the downpour of rain, however temporary, were sufficient to lead the inhabitants to hope that time would be given for the waters to abate before the damage would be so excessive as that occasioned by floods in former seasons. The flood-gauge at Belmore Bridge was watched with the utmost anxiety as its figures indicated the fluctuations of the river, but despite the occasional subsidence of the waters, the sad scenes which form part of the history of past years have been repeated; and if not to so great an extent as on previous occasions, still sufficiently so to cause much painful anxiety to the benevolent, and to call for the exercise of that sympathy and kindness which have never been withheld.  At Maitland, on Sunday, the 20th ult, the waters reached the highest point – the 31 feet mark, after which the waters began to fall slowly. The back waters, by persons qualified to judge, are fixed at 2 feet 2 inches to 2 feet 6 inches below the great flood of 1867 : yet the destruction of property, the inconvenience, destitution, and loss both actual and prospective, is nearly as great. At Singleton, it was at its highest on Saturday morning, 37 feet 9 inches. The water was deep opposite the Northumberland Hotel, West Maitland, over the eaves of the roofs of the houses in the hollow. Parts of the lower end of Durham, Little Hunter, and Church streets were flooded, and in Elgin street the water was up past the railway mills, and up to the sills of the lower windows of that building. At the Elgin-street railway station, the water was over the platform, but would have to rise three feet, or thereabouts, to reach the level of 1867 : in the goods shed it had not covered the platform by Saturday morning, but subsequently appears to have washed just over it. Owing to the strength of the current across Newcastle-street, East Maitland, traffic was arrested on Saturday morning, and has not since been resumed.

From the original edition of The Illustrated Sydney News.