YESTERDAY'S FLOOD.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 18 April 1901, Page 2

YESTERDAY'S FLOOD.

The heavy rain of Tuesday night and Wednesday morning caused the river yesterday morning to rise, and at one lime it looked as if we were in for a real, big flood. All day the river was watched by a large number of folks who discoursed the chances of the (own being inundated. At eight o'clock last night the stream was at its highest. It then began to fall rapidly. In the Grey Valley a good deal of damage, but not of a very serious character, has been done. In the forenoon a large quantity of drift timber and a number of big trees came down the Grey River. One immense white pine came rushing along, and struck the tug Wcstland carrying away a lat'ga iron stanehcon and causing the steamer to cant considerably and strain at her mooring*. Getting free of the tug the tree floated past a sailing vessel and two steamers was then driven by the rushing water full on fo the bow of tho Rosamond, For a fdW seconds things looked ugly, but tho current acting on the bushy part 01 tho tree canted it round. It then swept clear, wont down stream and over the bar.

All the vessels in port had all their ropes and chains out and crew on the watch. At eleven o'clock in the forenoon a boat belonging to one of the

dredges came down stream and was carried out to sea, while a second boat followed in the afternoon,

All dredging was suspended, and so far all are safely moored. A rumor in the afternoon that the Waipuna had broken away proved to be incorrect.

She will in all probability be able to get out of the cramped position into which she had recently worked. Hokitika.

The heavy rain of the past few days culminated in a still heavier downpour last night with the result that this morning there was an "old man flood." Tho river was bank high, and some very heavy timber was coaling down, necessitating watchfulness on the part of those who had boats afloat. A number of sleepers and some telegraph poles on tho rivce bank got afloat and went quickly over the bar. At high water tho lower parts of the town were flooded, the Post Office,. Customs House, Court House, the Anglican Church Vicarage, and other low lying places being surrounded by lakes, the water in places being some two to three feet deep. Morj or less damage is bound to have been done up country, news of which will probably reach later. After high water the flood rapidly went down and with a change of wind to the southwest there appears some probability of tho weather clearing. Kumara. Heavy rain fell throughout the night and a strong wind is blowing. There was an " old man " flood in the Teremakau and Greenstone Creek this morning, but we are pleased to learn that ncdamagc was done. The Junction and Bung Tuck dredges were riding in perfect safety. The weather moderated this morning and the flood-water is disappearing.