FLOODS IN PELORUS VALLEY

Chronicle (Levin), 24 February 1949, Page 8

FLOODS IN PELORUS VALLEY

Press Association)

(Per

BLENHEIM, Feb. 23. Service car passengers wlxo left. Blenheim and Nelson xibout 8 o'cloc.K this morning, will rcacli tlioir destinations some 12 hours bchind sc.hedule. They have spent most of those liours stranded at Havelock and Canvastown, waiting' for flood waters to subside. The dcluge, which sct in abou't nxidnight and continued in varying degreer during the morning and early after uoon, resulted in the Pelorus and Wakaniarina Rivers rising rajiidly until the\ overiiowed their banks and effctiveh' blocked the highway at sovcral points Service cars and private traffic from Blenheim mostly halted at Havelock some miles from the scene of the flood but those from Nelson got within a short distance of Canvastowxx to find they were conipletely stranded. People in some private cars had to be rescued by farm carts and 111 one case, according to a psissenger, tho horse drawing the cart liad% to keep its head welJ up to be,. cleai'. of the water. Many farmers in outlying districts are still isofated and it is fearod stock losses nxay be heavv as the suddenness of the floods gave lit tio opportunity of shifting sfock to higlie'r ground. The ilood level began to subsidc eaxdy tonight and about 8 p.m. service cars and lorries were able to get through. Private traffic, howevei', will remain stranded for some hours yeL