DESOLATE SCENE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20119, 13 December 1939, Page 6

DESOLATE SCENE

HUTT VALLEY FLOODS FARMERS SUFFER HEAVILY GOLF LINKS DAMAGED TRAFFIC DISLOCATED (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Receding yesterday as rapidly as it had risen, the Hutt River left many hundreds of acres in the upper part of the valley covered with shingle, silt, and driftwood. An accurate estimate of .the damage is not possible, but it will run into thousands of pounds. Golf clubs in. particular have suffered severely, and farmers have lost much stock. Valuable feed lias been destroyed.

Tlie Hutt River began to fall after reaching its peak at 5.30 p.m. on Monday, when it was 14ft. above normal, and continued to fall steadily ali to-day. By 8 o’clock last night it had gone down about eight feet: The secretary of the Ilutt River Board said last night that if there was no further heavy rain the river might be back to normal by this evening. The Manor Park golf links presented a desolate''- scene yesterday afternoon. A large area at the northern end of the course was covered to a depth of about a foot with shingle, boulders and silt, and driftwood was everywhere. The floor of the clubhouse was covered with an inch of silt and a window had been broken by a log thrown against it by the raging water. The course is to be closed for the next two weeks, and after that only nine holes will be in use. The damage is worse than in 1931, and it is doubtful whether the full 18 holes will be ready for play again by next winter. Other Links The Whakatiki links at Upper Hutt also suffered severely and will not be playable for a long time. The Hutt links and the Wellington Club’s links at Uerctaunga were also flooded, but not so seriously. The Deep Creek and Fluxs Road bridges have been washed away and Cooley's Creek bridge, a big concrete structure, has been left high and dry. The creek has changed its course and washed away 15 chains of fence. Farmers at Mangaroa—which is an important source of Wellington’s milk supply—clubbed together' to-day and got the milk over the creeks in carts. All the milk reached Wellington.

Serious erosion occurred m the Taita Gorge, where the Public Works Department built a huge groyne a few years ago. The river apparently got under, a stone groyne which collapsed. Once the groyne had gone there was nothing to protect the road. At two places the river has cut several feet into the road for about 20yds. The road was open for a time to-day but was closed again.

Water flowing over the road on the northern approach to the Silverstream bridge did some damage, scouring the bitumen in several places, but traffic was able to get through from early this morning. Main Road Closed

The main road route from Wellington to 'Wairarapa has been closed because of a collapse of the Te Marua bridge over the Mangaroa River.

The Taita Gorge also remains closed, but other main routes are open. The concrete Te Marua bridge having collapsed, it is quite impassable, but between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. cars are being allowed to cross the Black bridge, a wooden structure which carried the highway across the Mangaroa River before the concrete bridge was erected about eight years ago.

Slips on life Rimutaka Hill have been cleared sufficiently to allow cars to pass, but care is needed.

The Akatarawa road connecting Hutt with Waikanae will be closed until further notice. The Moonshine road connecting Trentham and Pahautanui is blocked. Train Services

Apart from work trains, no regular services were operated between Cross Creek and Upper Hutt on the Wairarapa line yesterday, and it was stated last night that no indication could be ’given as to -when the line would again be open for traffic. A series of slips and washouts on the Wellington side of i'ne Rimutaka incline occurred during the height of the rainstorm on Monday and caused serious damage to the permanent way. The major blockage is to the north of Mangaroa, where the approach to the bridge was completely washed away by the flood waters. At this point the track is impassable, and since Monday all available men have been engaged on the line. Men were also working to-day on the washout between Kaitoke and the Summit, where further damage occurred.

Traffic on the Wairarapa line was again dislocated yesterday and the express from Woodville to Wellington did not travel beyond Cross Creek. Passenger and freight traffic between Wellington and Wairarapa was diverted to the Manawatu line, and many people who intended leaving Wellington on Monday when the Wairarapa services were cancelled left Wellington at 8.30 a.m. yesterday for Palmerston North, where the connection with the train from Woodville to Cross Creek was arranged. The Railways Department advised that no further trouble had occurred on the Ilntt Valley lines and normal services were operated between Wellington and Upper Hutt to-day..