A GOOD THAW.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16265, 16 July 1918, Page 7

A GOOD THAW.

RIVERS RUNNING HIGH. STOCK LOSSES BEING REVEALED. Weather conditions generally were very mild in Christchurch yesterday, but about 5.30 p.m. a very heavy rain was experienced, and lighter showers followed until about 9 p.m. Heavy rain also fell at Akaroa and Kaiapoi, and there were indications that the back country was not escaping the visitation. Tho mild weather prevailing generally has resulted in a considerable thElw, and yesterday the Ashburton river was running very high, while the north bfanch of the Waimakariri was in flood, the low-lying land about the Girder bridge being submerged. In the mountains, however, wintry conditions predominate. Our Otira correspondent, telegraphing at 1.50 p.m. yesterday, mentioned that it had been snowing at Otira and Arthur's Pass since midnight on Sunday, and the snow was eight inches deep on the road. If the fall continued, it was doubtful if tho coaches would bo able to run to-day-Railway and telegraph conditions have undergone no chango since Saturday, with the exception that telephonic communication has been re-es-tablished with Cust. , A relief party got through to Lees Valley about 4.30 p.m. on Saturday, after having been about 10 the road. iTour men, mciuuing JVIr . Starky's two men, Mr A. Jones a contractor and his plasterer were found in the Okuku hut at the top of the valley. Tney were all right except that they were very short of food. The snow in the valley, which was over 4tt 6in deep, was disappearing rapidly, owing to heavy rain and strong winds, and the Ashley river was in flood. The three Government members of the relief party left on Sunday morning to made a tour of the whole valley, and expccted to return by way of the Ashley Gorge road. As tar as can be ascertained, the majority or the settlers in the valley are. well, but "there is a shortage of provisions. Jhe damage done to houses and fences has not been particularly heavy, but it is feared the losses of stock will be considerable.

IN THE COUNTRY. (iBOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.) OXFORD. Sunday, July 1-itn, will be known aa the day of "The Great Ihaw! About 7 a.m. a nor'-wester sprang up and mow a gale all day, with rain m the hills, aim tor an Hour in the aiternoou on tue flat. Immediately a great thaw sot in, and it was not long before streams and ditches and creeks were surging torrents. At places water overflowed the roads, and entered. houses. By the middlo of the afternoon great bare patches were visible on the hillsides, and grass was showing in. the fcelds. Stock, that for a fortnight had been fed on hay, or not at all, got a ro ylver J an< * appeared to appreciate it. lhrougliout Sunday night the wind continued, and yesterday morning was warm. Anxiety in regard to sheep focd will be allayed by the sudden and welcome change. KIRWEE. A strong north-west wind blew most of Saturday night and all day on Sunday, when heavy rain, fell for a time, .15 inches being registered. ±here »J still a little snow remaining in shaded places, but it disappeared from the open some days ago. The loss of during the recent storm was light, tho snow not being sufficiently deep to prevent froni carting out feed of some description. Quite a number or farmers were caught with a very small amount of chaff, and chaff-cutting plants were eagerly looked for when the weather cleared. Yesterday morning it was still blowing strong from the northwest. / METHVEN. On Saturday flight and all day Sunday a. violent nor'-west gale raged. Very heavy rain also fell for about two hours on' Sunday afternoon, consequently all the smow has disappeared from the Methven and surrounding districts. No heavy losses of sheep have been reported. Farmers put in long hours carting out hay, straw, etc., to stock. Snow ploughs were largely used to make tracks through the paddocks so that sheep could ho got to fe©d.

ashburton. A warm nor'-west wind prevailed at Ashburton during the greater part of Sunday, and tliere was a nor*-west rain in tne hid districts, which very considerably reduced the depth of snow on the hats, and caused a big fresh in the Ashburton river. There was a further good thaw yesterday, though the weather was very cold in tJie afternoon, when the wind got round to the southeast, and heavy rain fell for nearly an hour when the sky began to brigtiten again. Several up-country residents wno arrived in Ashburton yesterday afternoon reported that the worst of the snow had been melted by the mild weather on Saturday, and the warm rain on Sunday afternoon, and that much of the low country was almost clear. It cannot yet be estimated what the losses of stock are likely to be at the back of the ranges, but along the front of the foothills most of the sheep and other stock were got out safely, and the deaths so far have been remarkly few, considering the great depth of snow.

WAIAU. It will be some days yet before conditions in Woiau return to formal. Tlie .best thaw since the storm set m on Saturday night, when a nor'-wester sprang up, and continued throughout Sunday. Though the sunny faces are now clear, there is still much snow about; even around the township it is stiil lying to a depth of six inches to a foot. A number of farmers were in the township on Saturday, and most of them stated that the sheep had fared better than they had anticipated. Losses of 6ome half-dozen up to fifty were reported, but this was on-the downs, and it is naturally surmised that on the higher country the losses will be heavy. . . , Mr E. P. H. Burbury, Sherwood, had a splendid line of 600 two-tooths, and so far only about 300 have been got out alive. Ho estimates that his losses will amount to fully 1000. H© has had a most strenuous week's work riding over tho hills in search of buried sheep. The horses, he says, would travel for some distance ovor the frozen snow, when suddenly the crust would give way, and this would be the signal to dismount and begin 6now-raking operations, when, from a dozen to a score of sheep would be found, 50 per cent., perhaps, of which would be dead, and the remainder with a large portion of their wool eaten off. „ ~ . „ It is understood that Cheddar Vale has lost heavily. Mr Seth-Smith succinctly summed up the position hore with the remark that he he was about the only live left. It may 6afely bo assumed that what pertains on these_ two estates prevails on all similarly situated eountrv. The cars between here and Culverden have not yet resumed running, though the roads "should now soon be passable. Mails and newspapers have been conveyed by rail, and incidentally it, may be mentioned that a number of passengers, have also travelled in this way*

and have had the experience of enjoying the sumptuous accommodation' provided in the van. Could not a passenger car have been put on? j MACKENZIE LOSSES LIGHT. The mortality among sheep in the Mackenzie Country as a result of tho recent snowstorm will not be so heavy as was at first anticipated, though it will be serious enough. The situation has been greatly relieved by better weather, which has conduced to a rapid thaw. One dny there was a warm nor'west wind, and this was precisely what was wanted. -During the past week 30,000 sheep were got out of the snow-bound area, and railed from Fairlie, Albury, and Cricklpwood to down-country feed. In addition to the sheep 120 head of cattle were got out, and railed away. There was a further fall of snow, amounting to about six inches, on Sunday night in some parts of the Mackenzie Country. COOPER'S CREEK. A correspondent wrote from Cooper's Creek on ©unday nignt, as foliowB: — Un Friday 1 toon a short but very unpleasant, walk over the snow to the Post Ullico to ring up Cnristchurch, but found tliat communication was not yet restored to Oxford. It seems incredible that weather conditions have been so bad that we have been cut off for a fortnight. Even the trades' carts have not ventured through yet, although the butcher got through yesterday with a light cart. Last Wednesday ho brought meat out on a pack-horse; "when things I will get back to normal it is hard to t-say. Fortunately for us a neighbour, under rather trying experiences, drove to tho township yesterday and I brought a few things for us to go on with. It was the first loaf of bread and pound of butter (except one loaf) wo have succeeded in getting from Oxford for two weeks.