RECORD FLOOD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1711, 31 March 1913, Page 5

RECORD FLOOD.

GOEE UNDER WATER.

MAIN- STREET A RAGING

TORRENT, r

MM EXCITING RESCUES.

WIDE AREAS DEVASTATED

(By T:'!iraph.—Press Association.) . Gore, March 30. • The most disastrous Hood ever experienced in. Gore ond the Hataura ; Yalley occurred .on Friday morning. A flood'was expected, but it was not expected to bo serious.; Every town in the whole length of tho Mataura Valley suffered severely, and . the v losses arb enormous in. stock alone. 1 Thousands of sheep and hundreds of cattle <and horses havo been lost, and th'b carcasses 'carried away in the rushing water to. ; Mataura Island or out'to sea. All crops' still out on the low-lying Wai-: mea Plains ore irretrievably lost, ilnd the river, at! times has been littered with sheaves, sheds, aid debris of all descriptions. . ;; ' , ;. ! Gore, and Jlatanra 'have bfen particularly hard hit.. At Gore .half of the private, residences in the place have been submerged several feet, -and. some' to a depth of ten feet. This aspect of tho. loss is appalling,-though it is less serious than the devastating damage caused by the flooded .waters to the shops in. the town. The drapery trade is probably the hardest hit, but. large consignments; of 6ugar, flour,- sago, and tapioca .havo been reduced to waste,' and booksellers, grocers, bootmakers, and other trades have suffered great loss.\yindows arid mirrors havo been smashed, and goods washed out > of the shops. , Practically no. one : escaped, ■and the : afterhiath of'tho autumn flood of 1913 few haye any desire to seriously contemplate. -In. the meantime Southland has a reputation of making a quick recovery, arid will no doubt'sustain.'its reputation.

The, magnitude of the flood was not anticipated,'despite, the published reports in the "Ensign"' on Friday evening. It rained heavily, and the'rivers were runiiing full, but not near tlfe high flood level. At midnight all was. well, biit shortly before 5 a.m. on Saturday the repeated clanging of- firebells arid 'steam whistld3. warned the residents of tho approaching danger, and those,',who! heeded had little diffieulty in escaping. ■ Many: jvho , tardily heeded the warning and did not realise .the danger, and endeavoured to sav,e household effects, had great'diffioulty in escaping; l i' hi i. The river burst owl - tho banks, and finally orW Woimea railway line, and in lek than" 20 minutes the 'streets were a raging tori4nt,' four "to. five feet; deep. Rescue parties .were , speedily , organised, ai}d men were out 011 foot, on horseback, end in horses and traps. Later in the day boats and rafts were used. : Between 7 and 7.30 a.m. the water rose two feet, and-.reached beyond the highest ever recorded during tho historical flood of'lß7B. r At 9 am. the water .was at its height, and tho main street was then a raging'.torrent and . quits.; impassable. Debris fif •. all description's—meat safes, telegraph poles, fowls, sheep, oattle, loose timber, and all manner of' -refuse—was swirling down, the current/ and made a strange sight. ■'...'. ' ' '

.On Saturday'afternoon /rescue parties first visited; the lower lying streets, and the work .was hazardous 'and sometimes positively- dangerous. There were many exciting incidents arid riairc-w escapes, but no loss of life. The people on the higher levels made open house, and. fed and clothed tho unfortunhte. sufferers, who were literally washed out of their homes. The hills a,nd terraces west of Gore were thronged all day; Many cases of -self-sacrifice wele reported,',aM great praise is due to the Members ,of Bat-ton. Bros.' Circu9, who, with tho help, .of their, horses, rescued whole streets of families, V who had despaired of finding means of egress to the hills. Many risked , their. lives in effecting rescues.: Numbers of stricken' residents had to remain oil the rcofs of thoir houses till late, in tho afternoon before they could be taken to safety. Accommodation was found fot tho majority in the residences of their more fortunate men on the hill, but others slept in shakedowns in tho school. All \vho could sup-, plied food, and the neighbouring farms sent in, large'quantities. : - One rough estimate puts tho damage in Gore at <£100,000, 'and in tho district, including the whole Mataura Valley, at <£150,00(1. One draper in' Gore estimates his loss nt- <£2500, another at £1500, and othor tradesmen from JIGOO up. Only one'small 6hop in tho.wli.olo town escapet}. Stocks of . tea, tobacco, rice, and tons of groceries, have bcon mined, rind burst casss are to bo seen in all directions on the floors. • '.

. In Main Street shop ; windows were broken nnd the goods floated down stream for miles.. Tons ' of sugar melted away and onljr the sacks were left. . Provisions are badly wanted. A little bread arrived from Invercargill last night, but not sufficient. It is hoped that tho local bakers will be- able to bake some time to-day. The butchers are doing all. they can. The "Ensign" was unable to publish oti Saturday; as all machinery, including the linotypes, was submerged. Tho paper hopes'to issue to-morrow. The waters are "now subsiding, and r.ro five feet below yesterday's level, but aro still in the town. However, hundreds of residents are engaged in clearing thenhouses of silt and restoring order as far 'as possible, Scores of pianos havo been Irretrievably ruined and miles of fencing washed away. One resident returned to his house this morning to find the carcass of a bullock blocking his front door. Others were prevented from gaining their ■homes through piled up debris, and in one pr two eases outhouses were washed up against the houses, Thousands of poultry were lost. .

hundreds of visitors from the higher country drove in to see the spectacle. An "Ensign" representative visited the Waitnea Plains in the afternoon. Only the main valley of the Jlatanra and Waikaia' Rivers is seriously affected so far as. can be.learned. The Riversdalo and Switchers railway was badly damaged, and it is thought that it will be some time before trains will run on this branch. At Mafcanra town tho river rose with great rapidity, • and broke its banks at 9 a.m. above the town, and all the 'houses abovo the paper mills aiid west side of the township were swamped in a very short space of time. A great.panic ensued, <he people flying from their homes, tho "women and children being resbued . in carts arid "taken to safety. One store and one hotel.were tho only business placcs flcoded, all the shops in.-Bridge Street escaping. The ; coal-mines wero. flooded, and one house on'the river-bank mid a two-roomed cottage were , washed away.

LOSS OF LIFE REPORTED. '• MANY DISTRICTS INUNDATED. 'MATAIJRA RESIDENTS DRIVEN FROM THEIR HOMES. ' In'vercargill, March 29. Tho floqds nre the most serious experienced in Southland for thirty years. The railway traffic was completely dislocated through washouts, miles of railway being under water. Tho only line in operation, is the Bluff. / ' The losses .of stock will probably be very heavy at'Waianiawa,. where the flood waters seldom penetrate. One farmer lost 150 sheep, ,13 cattle, and [two horses. In the Winton district hundreds of sheep are to, be seen floating about. A train was dispatched from town with a boat for rescue work at. Gore, but it could not get past Edendale. A man named Patrick Walsh is missing. He is a supposed to bo drowned. Otautau, Lumsden, and part of Winton are also flooded. It is expected express service will bo restored on Monday. I'nvercargill, March 30. Railway communication from Gore to the south has been cut off since late on Friday night, and it is doubtful if it will be restored to-niorrow. . At Goro there was five feet of water in the Main Street on Saturday. Enormous damage has resulted to the shops and business premises. A large number of plate-glass windows were'broken. Hay stacks were brought down by the river, and one landed in a .monumental mason's yard and smashed seven or eight monuments. Stock came down the river in, great numbers, also sheaves and stacks. The estimate of the public and private damage in Goro alone is .£IOO,OOO. Reports from tho Five Rivers district indicates that the flood thero was particularly bad, and a heavy loss of stock and crops resulted. On tho Mataura River, near Gore, partitions have.been crectcd to prevent tho bridge rushing away. Mr. Dodds, a .farmer at Mataura, lost a thousand sheep. One hundred and fifty families in Mataura had to be lodged on the higher levels, and 105 people took refugo'-in the Paper Mills all day Saturday, food being sent to them' by means of a wire. The mills aro much damaged, and it is estimated that tho loss will be over ,£IOOO. There is a big washout on the main line south of the Mataura railway, the embankment and traffic road adjacent to the bridge being washed away for several chains.

A 'Wish-out occurred on the railway lino below thß town, and tho lino - is much damaged between' Charlton and Mataura. Two bridges over the Waimumu Stream and one over the Waikana Stream were washed away. Tho damage at the paper mills is considerable. The freezing.yorks suffered a good deal of damage, especially in' the electric light. department, : and will be disorganised for a* few days. ' Mr. E.' Humphries, on going to the dairy factory in the morning, had'a trying experience, Iking capsized and carried some distance, eventually Clinging to a tree, where he remained for eight hours before being rescued. ' Tho resident;? returned to their homes this morning, finding things in a dreadful state. All along the Mataura-Gore Koad dead sheep, sheaves, and bags of corn are clinging to the fences. Had the flood occurred an. hour earlier, during darkness, the result must have beencalamitous, and a loss of life certain. , A Rolief Committee lias been formed at Gore to. arrange for the food .supply.' Tils 'Prime; Minister, the Hon. W. F. 'Massey, received the following telegram on Saturday .from''Mr. G. J. \ Anderson, M.P."Great. flood Mataura River has caused tremendous loss. Whoio part of business part of Gore has strong current running down, tho main street. ' Residents .have been'rescued, and as far as possiblo are being put up ■ by householders on higher ground. Unfortunately wo have only one boat on each side of the river. We oro cut off by wash-outs at 'Fukerau and Edendale. Best we can do Tinder circumstances."' •.

Goro presents an unusual spectacle for a Sunday afternoon. The shops are open olid the people laying in such provisions as aro available. Tho borough will suffer Foverely as tho road 3 in some cases aro almost stripped of motol. All fivo banks wore inundated with water and the staffs aro engaged in wringing water out of tho bank notes and documents'.' Tradespeople are unable to get tho books out of their safe/i. In many cases owing to'the swelling of'the paper, card ledgers burst and deeds and documents are in a hopeless mess. .The. sun was shining brightly in the afternoon on the scene of devastation and

The flood was also very extensive in'llia Western District, reports indicating that there Jmvo becii'cxlonsivo washouts on tlie railway at Fairfax, Qporo, Makarewa, ] and Winton, ami also north of Winlon. Otautau reports that a man named T°ungcr was'drowned on Saturday when attempting to rescue some -stock. One. farmer at Mnkar'ewa estimates his loss at ,£6OO, and there are many others who linyo suffered equally with liitu. . At Gore on Saturday there were several hundred people marooned on the railway platform. Tliey sent to luvercnrftill for provisions, and Police Inspector Norwood with a. party of assistants took up a motor lorry with a load of bread, .reaching Gore "at 11 o'clock on Saturday nieht after ft most strenuous journey. Wyndham is completely cut olf, niul it is feared tlmt tins traffic bridge over the Mntaura River close to the township has been carried away. Numerous road ami railway bridges in various ports of Southland have Jiecn destroyed. Two lueses, and sheds innumerable have been washed doivn tho Mahiura River. It is stated (hat the cries of cattle being swept down the Mataura River near Gore were heartrending. To-day (Sunday) is beautiful, and the waters are everywhere receding. The flood is undoubtedly a record one, and the damage must amount to several hundred thousand pounds. The only two railway lines which have escaped are the Bluff and Seaward Bush lines. OUNEDIN IN PARTIAL DARKNESS. ELECTRIC POWER OUT (IFF. Duncdin, March 30. Very heavy rains were expel ienced in Ohigo Central at the end c.f -1 a -1 week. ".'ius ; ng considerable iusa to farmer?, piiu-

cipally in grain. At Bald Hill Flat ono of the river dredges .-(ink duiiny Friday night. Uniu lias now ceased, and the tlood waters are receding. An exceptional downpour caused a flood in the Waipori River, and early oil Saturday morning a portion of the fluming supplying water to the power-house was carried away, thus cutting oil tho supply of electric current to the city trams and factories. The corporation steam plant in Cumberland Street was at once stalled at full capacity, and supplied power to tile trams, which rail a'restricted service. Tho loss of tho electric current was severely felt at night in tho shops and private houses, which had to resort to keroseno and candles, and tho main streets were without I heir cuslonutry Saturday night gliii'e, except where gas is always used. Jinny,of the drapers' shops 111 George Street were lighted with bicycle lamps and candles. As the break in the limning is feorisiderable, the power may not 1» available for a day or two. The weather is now fine.

EXPRESS TRAINS BLOCKED. IUNGITATA BRIDGE UNSAFE. Ashburton, March 29. On arrival of the first express from Christchurch at 0.30 this morning the passengers were greeted with the announcement:—"llangitata' bridge unsnie. passengers for south of Kangitata will ne convey-ed by trolly over the river."' 'Ihe train waited luilf an hour here, and then proceeded south. The statiomnnster says he has no definite knowledge of the position, but news from other souvccs tends to show that the heavy wind and rain, in tiie back-coiuitry yesterday caused the river to rise very quickly, with the result that there was a heavy flood last nicnt, and the approaches t-o the railway bridges at both ends were So seriously damaged as to .make extreme caution on the piu't 01 the authorities necessary.

Timaru, March 30. The damage to the ltarigitata Bridge by the flood |on Saturday morning (said to bo the highest for 30 years) dislocated the train traffic and only passenger trains "were run. These were much delayed and tho expresses from the north rind the .territorial train were each four hours late here". Passengers, mails, and luggage crossed tho river on the sheep bridge attached to the railway bridge. ' The traius meeting'them on this -side • had to run witli the locomotives backwards ono way and with a light engine ahead and were therefore slow, and the exchange over one long narrow bridge took a long time. The damage consists of the down-stream four of eight piles forming one pier at tho centre of the north bridge being undermined or broken, and the other ■ four pushed over under the pressure of the current, a kink in the line. This was' Straightened yesterday and a strong repair gang ia at work. It is hoped to restore -the bridge by to-morrow. One small subsidence in tho/permanent way on the island wilt soon bej remedied. The river rose during tho night and at 7.30 p.tn; was eight feet abovo the normal. It had gone down'half that by tho morning. ;' The Hermitage reports that the flood has subsided "there. The annexe is somewhat undermined and listed, small outhouses have gone and the roads are much damaged. The mails must be packed through for a few days^ IN NORTH CANTERBURY. , LARGE AREAS SUFFER.' Christchurch, March 30. As a result of the nor'-wester on Tliurs- ■ day and Friday tho Waimakariri River on Saturday, was in high flood. At 11 o'clock in thomorning'North Road from Ohaneys was impassible for cars or cycles, but traps could get along. About half a mile past the' Empire Bridge the water had a depth of 2ft. Gin. ■ »

The Clarkville district was flooded as, far north as the school. In many places (he water was up to the top of the fences. Dead sheep were floating down tho main stream in large numbers. ' A good deal of tho flooded area is in potatoes, which will be ruined if water does, not get away, quickly,. ..Several .Iv.g crops' of beans ar6 likely to bo washed away. . , The mailman from Kaiapoi. could not get 'through to Coutts Island on account of floating stacks of grain. The river overflowed to about three miles past tho old intake of the north branch. The north branch and Eyre are not flooded. At two o'clock the water had covered a paddock owned by Mr. W. Tubman, and North Road, between Chaney's and Belfast Hotel, for a distanco of about half a milo, was two feet deep in, water. Tho flood waters subsided by 5 oclock) Doth expresses from the south were delayed two hours last night, and theiferry steamers were held back to connect with tho' second. : FLOODS AT THE HERMITAGE. BUILDING LISTS OVER. Messages received 011 Saturday, from the postmaster at Eairlie show that communication by telephone was obtained with the Hermitage, but with difficulty. At 10 o'clock on Friday night all was safe. , '. .

A portion of the building had listed over' considerably, otherwise the main building was safe, "i'lio washhouse had disappeared on tho wnt-sr subsiding. Considerablo damage was done to the road, but it was hoped to pack the mails out yesterday or to-day. Later particulars from the Hermitage, via Fairlie, show, that partial communication by telephone had been restored. The manager of the Hermitage reported a washout at the annexe, aiul also that the water had left the inside of tho building, and was spreading toward the Tasman. It was still raining hard, and had been doing so -for twelve hours. Six inches had then fallen. Advices received yesterday reported no further damage, and stated that tho water was subsiding.

OTIRA' MAILS BLOCKED. The Chief Postmaster of Greymoutli reports that the mails sent outward to Chrislchurcli on Friday were being detained at Otira owing to heavy floods, and that there was 110 prospect of getting them through on Saturday.