The Recent Floods.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 327, 31 May 1894, Page 2

The Recent Floods.

Now that tbewiitcrs have subsided a more accurate idea of the amount of damages done ty bridges. "etc., can be obtained, althqa^li more vill be known after the meeting of the Borongh Conn* cil to-morrow afternoon, when the Clerk of Works will report on the damages ' done within the Borough. ■ The Makino stream has been very destructive; and in comparison it has probably done more damage 'than some of the larger rivers. In matry places it has encroached heavily on its banks, and protective works will at once have~to : be erected te preserve roads and private property. It is impossible at -present to estimate the cost of the damages which it has worked along its course, but in the Borongh alone a large sum of money wiH be involved in effecting repairs. - . . _ The Wrr.vick street bridge has suf- ' fered most, and, in addition to the approach, which Mr Hubner has lately been repairing, being scoured .out worse than ever, the stream has changed its course, and has now set in on the opposite bank and the approach on that, side has clean gone. A large portion . of Queen's street near the bridge has been washed away, while private property liaa suffered considerably. . , - i^ 4V The approach to the Manchester street bridge from the north end has been seriously injured, while the bank at the same end of the; bridge in Beattie»BtoecV has been excavatsd to such an extent that traffic over it has been stopped. ; The bridges in Derby and South streets do not appear to have suffered. '*• i>. ; - - The damage at the Kiwitea bridge has been most disastrous, and the aspect there is, anything but a pleasant one. What remains of the structure is at present in raid-6tream, and there is a f^p of about 200 feet between U and , the banks on the Feilding side, with ||i^fehV drop of ; ten feet from the banks^'gto the river bed!" A large area jbf land his been scoured out on 7 both sides of the bridge,' and the willow protective works have been 1 completely carried away. ' ■?>■.-■- ''':-.'. • - ?; Mrs Everiss- residing at Waittina had n very unpleasant experience during the flood yesterday The rapid waters had at one lime completely, surroundecl her house, the outhouses' were all f waabed away and the house itself was'in imminent : : danger of being swept down.MroEvinM was rescued and her fnrnhure removed to a place of safety by her neighbors.: ; "• After 80 hours' rain .the greatest flood ever seen in Hnntervilie has pccurrjßd. Many of the Lous a v ere swampsd and tne inmates put to great 'inconvenience.^ &3t* r Waller and her jthree children^ypefjr; rescued at daylight yesterday ' i^mijg'X /; from their house, baying previously b^jf in great danger, owing to: the; rtyj3sjr ':'-V---with which the waterrofe. AH the roads are blocked and traffic and business ie at a standstill. ■"" : ; ; : l ; ■; : - ?v;vv -^ '':■-''.- > : - '. The flood, consequent upon the heavy J downfall of rain, was the largest experienced in this "district for the ptEist fourteen years. The ManawatU and Oroua rivers were yesterday in high flood, and the low-lying lands in the vicinity were completely submergfed. T Fortunately, time was allowed to enable the settlers to remove their stock to higher lands, otherwise serious losses would have occurred. Stoney Creek; Burinythorpe, Kairanga, and Oroua r Bridge districts were covered with water 7 to a depth, in somo . places, of five and six feet. At Burinythorpe fences were washed away, and settlers' honses invaded by torrents, but all precautions had been taken, and settlers betook themselves to places of safety. At Eairanga the water was lying over a considerable area of -land. The Mangaone and the Kawau overflowed to a greater extent than ever before known, and, on the. low-lying grounds the water was running nearly- - up to the tops of the fences^ The greater part of Jackcytown and Oroua Bridge was Wholly under water, and it is feared that there has been a serious - lossofsbock. , , -'••"'"-' • Considerable damage has been done in the Stoney Creek district by the heavy rainfall, and in some places the damage ■ is Appalling. The bridge over the creek on the Palmerston side of Mr Hopkirk'g property has been smashed into, pieces and a gap some 30ft wide left with shaky banks on both sides." The bridge on Henderson's line, near Mr Lloyd's, has been swept completely away and lodged on Mr Sewell's property, leaving a gap some 40ft wide, and cutting Messrs Lloyd, Hastings, and Banks completely off from the outer world. From . $he Stoney Creek school to the Stoney Creek itself the road was completely under water, which left a deposit of several inches of mud as it receded, tlie adjoin* ing paddocks being in a deplorable conJ dition, while what was a beautiful little garden of Mr Berg's, alongside Mr Sew* ell's, is covered completely with silt, The worst sight of all, perhaps, was the house occupied by Mr Devlin, near thej rise leading to the cemetery, standing in the midst of a perfect hike of water many feet deep, the outhouses being submerged and desolation reigning su« preme. Although the losses of stock in that part of the district have been few and far between, great havoc has been wrought with the feed, and the result must be highly prejudicial to the dairy industry. The approach to the Awahuri : bridge was washed away, and it is feared tnaft great damage will be. done, there as the river subsides and works its way into the bank. The Mangaone railway bridge It Bunny thorpe, we hear, has also been damnged; while generally all over the district there is hardly a bridge which has not suffered to a greater or leaser ex* tent. ' "_ The damage to the roads, too, has been considerable, and it will require an ex» penditnre of hundreds of pounds to render them fit for traffic. ~ The Pobangina river was in tremend* ova flood yesterday and the lands are under water to the depth of 6ft and 7ft in some instances; Whiblev'i cutting near Ashnrst was completely swept iway, ilie Tiv»r inakiog consider able icroads upon its banks in, that locals ity, and the approach to the railway' bridgt was threatened. The railway line to Napier is now dear, the flips in the Gome having been cleared a way, and the afternoon train arrived at Palmerston up to time. It is impossible to say when through train communication with Wellington will be restored. The repairing of the Aorangi b id(,e will occupy some considerable time, and it is not expected that the trains will te able to run through for about three! weeks. The Resident Engineer inspected the Ao angi bridge yesterday.. . The exact extent of the damage done to the Foxton railway has not yet been ascertained, the line being under water yesterday for a considerable distance. It is not expected that running will be re* 6umed on this line for two or three days. Yesterday evening several coaches arrived from Palmerston with passengers and mails from the South.

(Per Press Association,) Wellington, Mar 30. Telegrams received by the Railway Commissioners state that the rivers in Hawke's Bay are rising, and fears are entertained as to the safety of the Waipawa and Waipnkuran bridges. The arrivals of trains are dtlayed on all tha lines. The southerly br.ster still continues and interferes with the shipping.