GREAT FLOODS IN THE NORTH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 77, 23 March 1880, Page 2

GREAT FLOODS IN THE NORTH

FAMILIES IN DANGER—A CHILD DROWNED. GREAT LOSS OF PROPERTY. (by telegraph.) Wellington, March 22. Heavy rains have caused serious landslips on the Featherstone railway, which will obstruct traffic for three or four days. In some places embankments have been carried away and will take considerable time to repair. Floods have also occurred in the Hutt river, but no damage has yet been done. Palmerston North, March 22. Most disastrous floods occurred between Saturday and mid-day yesterday, damage amounting to thousands of pounds being done. The flood could not be the result of the rain, as in Manawatu it had not been raining for twelve hours. It is supposed it must have been raining up the ranges for days. Manawatu river, at Palmerston, rose seven feet in four hours, over-flowed the bank, and spread over the country. The Maoris at Hokowhitu had taken to the canoes. Ghenstone’s farm was completely surrounded by water which stood six inches on the verandah. The inmates, four men and a woman were imprisoned until five last evening, when a boat was launched, and after some difficulty they were rescued and conveyed to the Fitzhorbert side. There were six feet of water on the Gorge road, and inmates of houses were being taken out in boats. On the Foxton read all the settlers were flooded out, the rails were washed away, and five feet of water was covering the line between Jockey Town und Otoiua bridge. On Saturday night a settler named Shannan attempted to escape with his wife and children in a trap. Going along the road a log struck the wheel and turned the trap over. His wife was swept away, and was only saved with great difficulty, but the little girl of two years was drowned. The body was recovered this morning in a side drain. The destruction of property is something immense. The Maoris say there has been nothing like it for 20 years. The flood has gone down considerably since morning, but is now raining hard, and fears of a renewal are entained.