THE FLOODS.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2197, 23 May 1870, Page 3

THE FLOODS.

The rainfall dining the week lias been the heaviest we (Oamaru Times of Friday) remember since February, 1808, On Monday |ast it rained without intermission, from early morning till after midnight. Tuesday was a bright tine day, and on that and the following day (yesterday, it rained incessently. The creek was greatly swollen) and on Wednesday at 10 p.m. was very high, having then flooded the gardens near Messrs Thomson and Co.’s JE rated-'water Manufactory, in Cross-lane. The water reached nearly to the stable of the latter, and the horses were taken out. At this. t\me, in the channel recently cut in this locality, the creek had risen to within two feet of the S' lank-crossing. The large volume brought own, raised the brewery lagoon several feet and threatened to inundate the cottagoon the western side; but, fortunately, the heavy pressure caaried away the bank of shingle which had accumulated at the mouth of the creek, and gave it a free outlet to tlve sea. The lagoon then rapidly fell, and yesterday morning it was lower than we ever remember to have seen it, an old boat which was sunk some two ymars ago, being plainly visible. The channel to the sea is also much wider than it has ever before been. Wc are glad to observe that the dam has stood well, although it must have been subjected to great pressure when the lagoon was at its highest, the water being then witlijn two fret of the top. Notwithstanding the large Quantity of ripn which has fallen, the flat has pot been flooded as it was two years ago, the circumstance being due, no doubt, to the drainage works carried out by the Corporation. Humor also subsequently reached us that the buildings of Mr Wheatley, woolscourer, Kakanui, had been entirely washed away, but it wants confirmation, and we hope is unfounded. After writing fhg feuegaing, at about G p.m, the cyeek had overflowed the j|st a'Wve 1 Severn street bridge, and the water rising to the houses on the North Bank, the inmates had to be removed Mr Payne’s wife and family were taken off in a cab, the water being jup to the axles of the vehicle, The wife of Mr M‘Neill took refuge in a neighbor’s house upon t]js hill side ; and ppbspqvieqfcly Mr M ( Nefll went across, at considerable risk, and removed some live stock from his premises to a safer position. .Afc nine o’clock last night the creek was rushing through the Thamcs-street bridge with tremendous velocity, and ha-,1 risen over nine feet above its usual level—higher than during the floods of 18G8. Wc regret to learn from Mr Hunt, of the (inn of Hambledon and Hunt, proprietors of the flax mill about three miles from mouth of the Oamaru Creek, that their mill-dam was washed away yesterday morning about 10 o’clock, the creek being at that time about six feet above its usual level. It will, we understand, cost about LOO to replace the dam, hut we are glad to be able to state that no damage was done to the machinery. Foitunately the firm took advantage of Tuesday’s flue weather to forward r.bisut 15 bales of dressed flax, the whole quantity theq mi the premises, to town. Yesterday afternoon the heavy rainfall flooded the yard at the back of Messrs Bee’s and . Anderson and Mowatt’s stores, Tyne street, to such an extent, that it was found necessary to remove a Jaygc quantity of wheat stacked on the floor of the grain store of the former linn. We understand that Mr Luke’s back premises were also flooded.