THE FLOODS ON THE WEST COAST.

Evening Star, Issue 3478, 16 April 1874, Page 3

THE FLOODS ON THE WEST COAST.

GREYMOUTH. By the Greymouth papers it appears the town was in imminent danger from the flood of Sunday and Monday, April 5 and 6, and but for the stone protection works, a similar catastrophe to that of February, 1872, would have had to be recorded. The ‘ Grey River Argus’ says :—By three o’clock on Sunday the whole of the back portion of the lower township was more or less covered with water, and the appearances were so bad that many families resolved at once to remove, themselves to higher ground, makjhg the best provision they could for the safety of their ejects by piling them as high as possible within the dwellings. A lull in the weather occurred about five o’clock, and it was considered possible that the worst was over; but in about an hour the raiu fell heavier than ever, and although the tide was falling, the river was rising, until at eight 0 clock the river was a foot or more higher than it was at high tide. The inhabitants in the low-lying districts were naturally afraid, and many of them were conveyed in waggons to places of greater safety. At this time things began to look so serious those who were inclined tp regain apd stand the tjsk pf being flooded put, thought discretion the better palrt of valor, and the express waggons were kept actively engaged for some time. There was some chance of the river making a breach through the gangway opposite the Railway Terminus Hotel, but the attention of Mr M‘Arthur, of the District Engineer’s Department, having been called to it, he caused an embankment of sand-bags to be erected which would keep out the river, at least till it would overtop the stone work, which was not considered likely. Rain must have fallen heavily up country by the great amount of debris that came down, and we fear that damage baa been done to some of the farming settlements, as the carcases of two cows or bullocks, ?inc chimneys, and pieces of furniture were observed drifting dpwn, Amongst the rest was a large canoe, 1 which after washing within reach of a boathook opposite Morten’s Hotel, drifted out to sea. Ihe rain continued to pour and the river to rise until it became almost inevitable that at midnight a repetition of the last great flood

would occur. But the stone embankment at the lower end of the town prevented anything like a strong current along the old tidal creek. And it may be said that to this work the safety of a large portion of the town is due. The river continued to rise on Sunday and during the night, and it was not a matter surprise that a great portion of the township of Greymouth was almost entirely submerged on Monday. The river ran much higher than at the last great flood, and it is entirely due to the stone work at the head of the town that the whole of the buildings on the front street were not swept away. As it was, streams of great volume ran down the cross streets, and business was of course placed at a standstill. We hear that two or three cottages at the lower end

town were lifted by the water, and that several others were in great danger. The news from Up-country is bad indeed. We hear that all on the flat ground are flooded out, and Unable to get away. Ihe following additional items are from the Greymouth ‘ Evening Star,’of April 7 “ the scene that the town presented at midnight would have been worthy matter for the writer of a sensational novel, the appearance being that of an archipelago—patches of dry land standing out here and there only—every street in the town being submerged, while the moving lights in every house gave evidence of the anxiety of the

inhabitants, the winds meanwhile blowing a gale, and the rain falling incessantly, and through it all, in the dim moonlight, might he seen vehicles splaaiiinsjtheir way, carrying families from places of danger, scarcely knowing whither to direct their ceurae to find places of safety. Toward morning, owing to the ebbing of the tide, the flood underwent a temporary subsidence, but commenced to rise again at daylight, attaining the level of the great flood of February, 1872, by noon. 'I he protective works, proved worthy of their name ; the current of the river was kept in its accustomed channel, and the inhabitants of the Mawhera quay had the satisfaction of seeing immense trees rush harmlessly by above the level of their doorways, and the submergence of the lower portion of the town being caused, primcipally, if not wholly, by the backwater, the damage is not likely to be great. One cottage on the terrace was blown down by the wind, but beyond this, damage by that element is chiefly confined to broken panes of glass. The whole of Coal Creek Flat was submerged, the water being half way up to the wall plates of the houses. Yesterday (Monday) evening the water was washing over the protective works at nearly every point. At this time the water was three or four feet in depth in most of the back streets, while the current in Tainui, Albert, and Boundary streets rendered the crossing of them difficult if not dangerous. The most serious disaster to be recorded is

the destruction of four houes at the lower part of Gresson street by the river encroachment, Several valuable horses have been drowned, one belonging to John Rankin being valued at L6O. Some of the houses in the lower portion of the town were submerged for twenty-four hours, and the inksbitants are busy to-day digging out their floors, a«me of which are buried under twelve inches of sand and mud. THE BRUNNER RAILWAY. The ‘Greymouth Star’ says:—-“It is estimated by competent judges that to repair damages done to the Brunner Railway by the flood will necessitate the outlay of a sum equal to one-third of the original cost of the line, viz., seven or eight thousand

pounds. On the same subject the ‘ Argus ’ °r A , pri i. 9 ’ sa y s Yesterday Mr Macarthy, of the District Engineer’s department, made an inspection of ihe railwav works. It was found that considerable damage had been done during the late flood, by landslips, the overflowing of culverts, and the flooding of the creeks, home of the bridges and appreaches will require extensive repairs, and it will be necessary to protect some of the embankments either by stone-work or timber cribbing. The flood marks showed that m several places the line had .been under water in one place on the flat, before reachlug the coalpits, as much as four feet, THE HOKITIKA DISTRICT. The West f.oast Times’ of April Q, reports as follows The injury, done by the floods of Sunday and Monday last was far greater than was at first supposed, and it is only by degrees that the full particulars are known. Up the Hokitika several agriculturists have also been visited by the flood to their special detriment, aud a number of gardens in town have been so submerged as to render their contents valueless. From the Grey most disastrous accounts are ‘ received and up the Grey galley the damage done has heex* immense. At the Teremakau, Mr Whitteq has been a serious sufterer. His house and a large quantity of land has been entirely washed away, and with very great difficulty he saved the punt. He lost L2O in notes in the building, and altogether he estimates his loss at fully

; THE WEST COAST ROAD. Times,’ of April IQ, says : —Mr'Nightmgale, who arrived in Hokitika yesterday, reports the damage done to the Christchurch road as follows, and estimates of restoration at between L 7.000 and LB,OOO : Above Walter Ray’s two bridges have been washed away bodily, together with about half-a-mile of the road, and this being m the Gorge will cost a heavy sum to P aßßa ble condition. Between the 43rd, 44th, and 45th mile posts the road is entirely washed away, no trace of it remaining. At the 40th mile post, sixty chains of the road are gone, and at the 35th mile-post half a mile of the road is completely washed away. Mr Jackson’s house' was completely washed away with all its contents, and the family narrowly escaped 'their livei. Ihe leremakau now runs where the house st°y.d. At'the Eangiriri there is no trace of the road for two miles. THE TELEGRAPH. The ‘ West Coast Times, of April 10, retele S ra P hic fine between here and Christchurch is swept away for miles, we undei stand, and the officer in charge informs us that there is no prospect of communication being restored under three weeks.