The Floods

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 145, 18 May 1886, Page 2

The Floods

[ Tho heavy rains of the past few oaye have been phenomenal. Our telegram* show that Canterbury and Wellington^ provinces hare suffered the most. En gut own neighborhood, although the* rivers hay e been flooded, yet the injury done to public or private property is very: trifling. The approaches to the Awahuri ■- Bridge have been partially washed snrky, ;: and traffic has been stopped in consequence; but we are glad to know that the expense of re-opening communication hy road with Paknerston will not be excea> siye. A portion of the works at Mr Aitken's contract on the Beattfe street: bridge were washed awaf, but all the ; timber of any value has been recovered^ and the actual loss to the contractor wUl' only bo a few pound*. Some of the iarmera must have lost several head of stock, : as carcassee of sheep have been seen floating down the Oroua river, out not in any great number. We are, glad to say that the weather . has broken and there is a' promise of a few fine days.

(MB UNITRD PBSM MSOCUtIO.V- ) Woodville, VJ'ay'lTr T Heavy and continuous rain hw fallen in this district during the past 24 hour*. The Manawatu Hirer at ' the Gorge Ferry Bridge ha» it»en to nearly 30ft, the n»ual average heigfcV Wing' six fret", and ia still rising. A wire post at the Gorge Ferry hat been carried a way. No communication >»eh by boat, is poMible. The tnfßp-ha§ been suspended, and mails delayed in eennequence ■; Chbistchubcb. May 16. Yesterday's flood wa« th«» moat aerere ever ejp^rienced in Chrisfchuroh. not eiceptitig the, jitear ff>.M>d of 186.4, for that; was confined- to-ktrjUtftpfcaffecied bjr the river, where « tfcw wni general^ The rainfnll for the 24 hour*- en4i«j{ dafW.! 698 inche*. is unprecedented. Since that wa« taken 1.12 incite* h»ve taiVn, m»king v with Tharaday'a UlW^m total of 8.87 inehe*. I>nring.Jhe gale the Aroii roue about four feet in t*vmas. 18 inches from the floor ef some of the bridges. The low- lying country between Chmthureh and New "B>*ii{hton was covereed with water from the rirer, which nrar New Brighton was brer half a mile wide. In the seuih-eavtern portion of the city, round the Catholic Church, the water formed a lake several acre* in extent, the ' fires of the tramway engines being .put/; out by the water. Many resident^ %f^ Wool*ton had te leire their houses ;!«tt| man. named Cord, being rescued after Jbpj had passed the night on the roof of hjaV," house. At 8 o'clock in the morning the water extinguished the fire* of the engineis at the Drainage Pumping Works, No serious damage has occurred to the sewers, however. At Goremor'a Bay a housebelonging to William Cowlin was shifted by a landslip, and completely cheoked. ,, The Sumner itoad was blocked by V .landslip! : ", WBuaxaiOK* May 1 17. Tjie weather cleared -wp this- morning, the iram ceasing, and the wind graduaU ing into a fresh breeae. The steamer Kotorua, from Lyttelton, had a very rough passage, and la*t night anchored under Cape Campbell, leaving there again earlr this morning. During 'the passage part of her railing was washed away, the steering gear put out of order, and the quadrant broken. The Iteamer// Te Anau. whu-h arrived from Napier at 1 o'clock this morning, after a passage occupying 46 hours, had extremely severe weather. After being 31 hours on the passage, she made Cape Campbell light, and then made for IVncarrow light, wniok owing to the thick weather, she was uq. able to. pick up, so Capuin' Mclntosk stood off and on, but thii morning (so three or four of the passengers state), ; when the ponition of the ve«sel waft ascertained, she waa in close proximity to the mainland, and she was put about and beaded for Wellington. , The Stormbtrd from . Wellington had a very rough passage to Kapiti, , where she anchore4 two days. She if now lying off P^rirua waiting for the weather to clear. Most of the passes gers have gone ashore and prooeeded overland to Wellington.