BIG FLOODS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 217, 8 June 1920, Page 6

BIG FLOODS

IN THE KING CQ UNTRY

MAIN TRUNK LIBI'I2 UNDER WATER ' d .o BETWEEN HANGATIKI if ID OTOROHANf >f ,t Vestorday morning 't!he Railway E 13 partment was advised of tho inundntii °f th o Main Trunk lij le for a wnsidc n able distance between Hangatiki a i ,y Otorohanga. Tho inundation has bei caused by heavy rainq, and the llocdii d of rivers and stream/ j. There was i i- possibility of a trot" sference fiom oi e train to another yesf drday, because tl d wa'tor was dying tlire e feet deep on tl y line and road for a . distance of at lea e two miles. t Tho mail train, the Department a •- nounced, would not proceed beyond 'J >; Kuiti for a day or t'nyo. liie latest a. I vices were to tho cjt ect that no rfimini 1 tion of the flood wsrters was -.es apm e ent, but that as noon as (he weatlu 0 cleared up the watei :s would find a speed 1 release. 0 Tho 12.45 p.m. train did not run ye 0 terday, but a specj al train left at 2 p.m and it was to pmceed as far, possibl' t as To Kuiti. The Department, liowcvc' advises passenger wlio insist on pri 3 ceeding that 'there is very little availabJ r accommodation alt To Kuiti, and the 1 they would be wise to stay at Taumari ' nui, where there: are more' private hotel ' and boardinghoitses. 3 A Press Assmcintion telegram froi r Auckland states ''hat heavy rain cause , landslips on thn • Main Trunk rnilwaj [ particularly belwcen Te Awamutu an [ Otorohanga. lino express bains yestei J day did not rrm beyond Frankton an. Te Awamutu. ' There are also slips oi ; the Rotorua o)nd Thames lines. TE JO¥FTOODED I I By Telegraph—Press Association. 1 Te Kuiti, June 7. 1 Torrential yain on Saturday nigh- • flooded Te Kui.fi. Tho water invadec 1 several shops and the damago is fairlj , heavy. Tliio town is isolated by slip; on the maim roads and eangg are ai work cleariivg them away. The Sunday ex ; I'ress from the north got through, bul this morning the water rose rapidly on tho line Iteiween Hangatiki and Otorowhiitli was covered to a depth of three feet. The express from tho south stopped ■ here. is roported from Honikiwi, E. F. A. iDtanckley, a Public Works overSeer, was swept off his horse and drowned.( Hiq "body has not been found. Several bridges have gone in the couniry and there are numerous slips and other da/mare. The weather cleared today ani't' it is hoped to got trains riirougl) to-morrow. . EWERS RUNNING BANK HIGH Taumarunui, Juno 7. On f&turday and Sunday heavy rain flooded the Waiiganui and Ongarue rivers, the floods being tho highest for four years. Both rivers are flooded from tank to bank. There has been a fair amount of erosion, but nothing serious. Tho protective works and new traffic bridge over thfe Wanganui River stood the test well. At tho boat-land-ing the Ongarue was nine feet above tho ordinary water-mark, and it is doubtful if tho rivor-boat will go down to-dav. It is reported that there is twenty-six feet of extra water at the houseboat. She is now anchored over the flower bedß. WASHOUTS ON ROTORUA LINE Rotorua, June 7. Washouts on the railway near Mamaku and Pntararu prevented tho trains leaving Rotorua this morning. Little information is available. It is expected the trains .will leave in tho afternoon. All roads to the coast are interrupted, the mail oars having had to return. The Whakatane road: is not expected to be restored for a week. Later. There was a fall of 9.11 inches of rain during the is hours ending at 9 o'clock this morning. The Utuhina stream rose ton feet and the water entered a few houses on the banks, but did no serious damago. Tho flood subsided qfiickly when the rain slackened. The weather is now fine. The Auckland express left at about 1 o'clock in.the afternoon and the inward express is expected to arrive at 9. The washout at Maniaku.has been temporarily repaired, but at • the washout at Putaruru the passengere had to be transferred. WAIKATO RIVER STILL RISING By Teleirraoh—Press Association Auckland, June 7. Considerable damage to roads and bridges by floods is reported by country correspondents of the "Herald." Although the rain hyxd ceased, (he Waikato River was in heavy flood to-night, and was rising at the rate of an inch an hour. Several roads were under water. A small slip occurred en the railway lino to tho Pukemiro mine, but men worked all day on Sunday and cleared the debris. The railway services throughout the province are more or less disorganised.