RIVERS IN FLOOD

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18220, 3 November 1924, Page 9

RIVERS IN FLOOD

STORMY WEEKEND. NORTH CANTERBURY AFFECTED. > LEITHFIELD AND SEFTON FLOODED. Stormy weather was experienced over the week-end, and in various parts of Canterbury Tivers were in flood. The most serious damage seems to have been dono at Leithfiokl, whore the Kowai waters flowed through the town* ship. Saturday morning was miserable in Christchurch, a cold rain coming down steadily. In the circumstances it was impossible to play cricket, tennis, bowls, and other open-air games, which were consequently put off till next Saturday. The rain camo down harder in the afternoon, and' in the evening \?as still as bad as over. It continued thus until about midnight, when the clouds parted and the rain gradually cased oft". Yesterday was a beautiful day, with sunshine and a light breeze from tho north-east. For tho 48 hours ended 1 a.m. to-day the rainfall registered at 'Tho Press" Office totalled 1.44 in. The rainfall rocorded for the year up to 1 a.m. to-day totals 21.83 in, compared with 28.74 in for the correspondr ing period last year. October has been an exasperatingly wet month from a sportsman's point of view this year, being about twico as wet as that month usually is. Four out of tho last five Saturdays have been wet, as the following figures show: — October 4th .. .. 0.2501n October 11th .» ~ O.llOin October 18th .. .. 0.190ia October 25th .. .. Nil November Ist (to 5 p.m.) .. 0.481n FLOOD AT LEITHFIELD. KOWAI OVERFLOWS. WATER RUSHES THROUGH TOWNSHIP. Leithfield is unfortunate in the matter of floods. That of May, 1023, did a lot of damage, and on Saturday night the little township had another similar visitation, both'branches of the Kowai overflowing their banks. The water commenced to flow over the banks about 11 o'clock, and was soon running through the township, although fortunately not to ns great an extent as the, flood-waters of last year. About two o'clock the water broke through at the same placo as the water which flooded tho township last year. It flowed over farms belonging to Messrs James Bros., and Mr D. McLean, and tho Government farm recently occupied by the late M* Jones. Mr McLean's farm was under water to a depth of from' six inches to four feet, according to the u adulation : of tho land. The water entered tho sen by means of tho Government drain. Usually of a width of a few feet, this ' was at the height of the flood from one i and n-ha'lf to two chains wide. 1 , A| a ' -, result of the floods tho roads.hare, been . scoured, but not to any great extant; The south approach to tho Kow'aJ ' bridge on the right-hand side has'been scoured, but not sufficiently to prevent traffic using it. Fortunately there ha* been no loss of stock reported, but poultry suffered a heavy, mortality. Four, houses were partially flooded, the occu- . pants affected being Messrs J. Smith, F. Ashby, F. Trail, and T. Parker, all the houses being at the side of the road. Last night the North Kowai .was still carrying a lot of water, but nothing like the amount it carried on Saturday. DAMAGE IN SEFTON DISTRICT. POTATO CROPS SUFFER. It is reported that Seftoa alto tmf« fered from floods, and that considerable damage has been done by silt Mr W. Eder's farm was inundated, and Legget's farm suffered , similar damage, while large quantities of silt have been, deposited over other properties. The potato crops have been most unfortunate in this respect, the wheat land situated on the upper terrace escaping pretty well. Water is lying about in all directions, and a number of days wHT probably elapse before it disappears. It is expected .that eon- . siderable inconvenience will be caused by the silt which has entered well*,, used for domestie drinking purposes. SELWYN IN FLOOD. The heavy rain caused the Selwyn td flood on Saturday, but not to such an extent as to do any harm so far as can be ascertained. GRETA IN FLOOD. CAR STICKS IN STREAM. V _ J _, JM JUI i The state of the Clarence put ferry out Of commission for &i 'W*>f*r&i ! on Friday the Greta became fpM&ffl that service cars were jtegSSi through. One such car, ' thought would be able safely, was help ■ When the; pasaeagei^P^ffl|nßßra| 1 swirling about ttriU^^B^^B^Si^^ then? 1 driver, The ' ship, dlftlaftge the ear V^fZZSi '«'traction-engine. wa« **! Vfffltot use. ana* without further >ttfi *BW« enabling 2?SSf behind it to get through. M&A Adverse comment was made in ;£«*£ of the bridges, which were derived i« the floods of May, 1928, over the Greta, and which, oven after a lapse , of eighteen months, have not yet been, re-built. v s*< lYom Amberley northward, the. rnitt* '* fall must have approached three inches, because close ou two inches fell the -4 hours prcc«ding Friday iuorj|[a&vo