HEAVY RAINSTORM

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3113, 18 June 1917, Page 6

HEAVY RAINSTORM

DAMAGE IN THE CITY HOUSES FLOODED AND TRAM SERVICES HELD UP .COLLAPSING OF A RETAINING WALL RQSENEATII- RESIDENT KILLED It is a long time since Wclliugton was subjected to such a heavy and concentrated rain storm as:was experienced betweeu 7 p.m. and 0 -p.m. on Saturday. It had been ruining off and on fairly heavily throughout the day, but soon after fj p.m. a great bank of black cloud rolled along from the north-west, and after a vivid display of lightning and a bombardment i'rom the batteries of the heavens, the rain began to fall in real earnest, and gradually increased until between 7.45 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. it simply came down in a blinding sheet, so thick and heavy \£hai each gust of wind made a wave-like impression along the wood-blocked streets of the city. Halt' an hour of such rain had an amazing effect. The water channels, worked to their fullest capacity, were unable to keep the water from flooding over the roadway, and in places the footpaths. The scene in the city, particularly at the junction of Willis and Manners Streets, was one that will not soon, be forgotten. Fed by the flood waters from the hills at the back of Aro .Street, the water travelled down Upper Willis Street at a great rate, and fed by a thousand tributaries from the hillside, it spread right across the road opposite the Albert Hotel, and running like a mill-race, it swept across the sheet and swished up against tho Dnke of Edinburgh Hotel. ' That divided the torrent into two' cataract's, one of which rushed along Manners' Street ankle deep, whilst the other tore down "Willis Street, and, fed by gushers from Boulcott Street and the "Post" right-of-way, it swerved round into Mercer Street. The sump 3 on the corner , of Wakefield and Mercer Streets were inadequate to cope with the swirling rush of water there, and the result was a flood at that street junction—not a quiet, placid flood, but a rushing, turgid torrent that was ■ determined to find its own level at all costs in record time. People who were- struggling down to hear "Maritaua" at the Town Hall were caught in the storm, few, save those arrivingjn motor-cars, being able to reach the hall without a soaking. Many were turned back into the town by the animated aggregation of water in Mercer Street, but some men—and even women— dashed through the agitated water half ■up to their knees, and other ladies allowed themselves to be carried across by self-sacrificing males. AT THE "ALBERT" CORNER: At the Albert Hotel corner a big crowd assembled to watch the play of water and the fun there ivivs. in the crossing. Soldiers in greatcoats and putties waded across the racing floor! quite unperturbed by the prospect of wet feet for the rest of the evening. Old ladies and voting, who had to get on, tucked up their skirts and ran the gauntlet, to the accompaniment of cheers from the bauk. One lady who attempted to push a perainbulator across had difficulty in holding the vehicle up against the pressure of the torrent, and had to be helped "back to land." Whore the Boulcott Street waters poured into the Wilis Street river, some of the wood-blocks near the iram.rails were forced up. and had to be thrown out of the way, creating a pool of water in the middle of the street. Here, too, a miniature geyser commenced to play—water apparently forced under the blocks and suddenly finding surface freedom. At that point the trams had to be handled rather carefully, for fear of a possible subsidence of the track. In the meantime there were all kinds of runionrs respecting washouts on the tram lines all over the place. These proved to be untrue.