FURTHER DETAILS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 407, 16 January 1909, Page 7

FURTHER DETAILS.

COUNTY COUNCIL'S GREAT LOSSES. - ; (DY- TELEGBAPH—I'KHSS. ASSOCIATIO.NO . ' Roofton, January 15/ :' ;It:is-stated from Black's Point that the -volume:of water ih the Inangahua River has rarely/been: eclipsed.. .'When the boom at Murray's Creek burst, tho water caTried a hugo.mass of mining debris, trees, etc., right beforo ploughing its way through the mining tailings, and causing a!great stench from tho disturbed waste sands of the cyanide jiTOcess. /The road bridges at'the Energetiq mirio aro under-mined, ' and rendered unsafe for traffic.

/• At Knight's coal-mine tho flood did some good by considerably damaging the fire which. Has,existed in the workings .of the: mine for two years or so. . ;

\' .Not 1 a 'single , trace of tho recentlyconstructed .aqueduct piers'is. left, and; a largo number,'of concrete pipos havo been swept clean" away. Tho engineer and other, workers .tried'.jb : save theni, .but. the rivfer rose -in ten minutes over the level of the works, driving them, back,. . ; .

. Opposite Reefton, at Rosstown, the river, simply sluiced away/strips.of land.: All.trace' of the road has vanished. Tho wonder is that the, traiHo, bridgo stood the weight of the flood as it did.'

'■Bolow.'the bridge,: all protective", groins protecting the lower-lying, lands : from' tne rush of water .were simply swept ' away. These.were strongly let-in groins, made of huge .boulders covered, with a of wire.

Tho left branch of ; the Inanguhua River rose even worse than tho right, but did not causo much damage except to tho aeriaf tramway .qf O'Donnell's 'coal-mine, which : was utterly wrecked,- entailing considerable loss to the unfortiiriate, proprietor,. and lendering the .mine-; useless possibly- for, two months. Lower . down, :the.rivor ruined a-large area of \ low-lying-lands,'-spoiling potato patches, etc. - • A fiumber- of sheep were drowrie'd at : Lawry's.a settler's place. ; further down; tho flood was' Confined to tho river channel, nnd hot much damago is reported. '• Tho Inangahua County Council is';tho chief 'gufferer; -That body has lost all the value of all tho-work done, in extension of the waterworks . schemo • in putting in piers,- and also tho. derrick'and plant. ' . ' From-'every side comes news of landslips, The 0110 'between 'Crushington and Black's Point is-iwo or -threo chains in length! Other, heavy slips, aro .reported.' A large quantity of concrete .work has been .rendered useless, and culverts' havo been washed away; _\v No :estima'to can yet -bo made :of - tho damage. WASH-OUT ON WESTPORT RAILWAY. COAL TRUCKS DERAILED. . .! ,(Di TKtEOBAI'II—I'ItESS ASSOCIATION.!' . - Westport, January 15. ' Through a -wash-outi 011 tho' WestportMokihinui railway, at .2 o'clock this morning, fifteen loaded coal-trucks wero derailed. : Tho rails, wore twisted and ; the sleepers smashed,. ,over a chain: of tho " lino being damaged.. /■' 1 Repairs are proceeding.