Floods in Wellington.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 190, 11 February 1895, Page 2

Floods in Wellington.

The weather which had been fine on Saturday night, suddenly changed yesterday morning, when heavy rain began to fall, and continued with very little intermission during the day. About 6 o'clock in the evening an almost tropical downpour set in and in a very short time, the ( sewers being unable to carry away the volume of water pouring into them ruanv of the low-lying streets were flooded, and it was feared that there would be a repetition of the floods of two years ogp. About 6 o'clock pedes.trnin traffic along the footpath along Larnbton quay from the National Hotel to Bowen street was impossible, as the water was knee-deep in some places, especially by Messrs Scoullar and Chisholtn's and Messrs Warnock and Adkin's, where it flowed into the shops, and even covered the crown of the roadway in front of the Police Station. The water just reached the threshold of the National Hotel but some of the shops lower down the quay were not so fortunate, as it flowed into these, covering the floors some inches deep The greatest volume of water had, however, accumulated from the Gear Company's shop to Bowen street. A sheet of water extended at the opposite side of Lambton quay from Kirkcaldie and Stains' carpet warehouse to the Government Buildings. The police station, was nearly surrounded by water, and it was only possible to get into the building at the rear, except by wading. The Reclaimed Land looked like a miniature lake, and some of the buildings there were completely surrounded As the moon was not visible, the electric light not turned on, a good deal of inconvenience was caused to pedestrians, who were unable to distinguish in many capes the roadway prova the water, and did not sometimes 'discover their misfake until they fqnnd themselves in the flood. Manners street was also a sea. In Cuba street there wa,s practicably nq darna^e dpne, but th,e water covered nearly the wtiqle of the street, and nqade matters very uncomfortable fqr pedestrians. — Tjrnest '