THE FLOODS.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 105, 1 October 1874, Page 3

THE FLOODS.

Telegrams and information respecting the flooded state of the northern rivers already published, have fully described the extent of the floods. Although there was a probability of a serious overflow from the Waimakariri, that river subsided soon after 2 p.m. yesterday, and no danger was to be apprehended as regards Kaiapoi, The injury done seems to be confined to the railway at Chainey’s and Flaxton, and that is comparatively trifling. Everything was done to keep the railway communication connected, but after the breach was made by the river at Chainey’s. the passengers from the trains to Kaiapoi could only be conveyed by two sideless trollies, which were managed by Leach and Co (the contractors for keeping the way in order). Although they did their best to supply the want of the train, yet in future, seeing that interruptions to the lines are of constant occurrence, the Government might provide a light passenger waggon, mounted and worked with a winch, similar to a trolly. Persons were conveyed in a similar way from Kaiapoi to the Rangiora train at E’laxton. Yesterday the water was still flowing through the breaches near Chainey’s. On the tenth and eleventh mile and Irishman Flat was quite flooded There is no probability of this section of the line being nvopen-d before Saturday. At Flexion the flood was high enough to prevent the repairs being gone on with, and the running of the train from Rangiora was discontinued, the distance between Flaxton and Chainey’s, four miles, being too long a distance to keep up communication by trolly. This portion can be repaired in two days, and may be expected to be open on Friday. It will, however, take some days for the water to escape from the swamp at the sides of the line. On this occasion the overflow from the main drain was more serious than before ; the water again covered the drain road between the drain and girder bridges, and about the former a wider gap than on former floods was made in the embankment, thus causing the inundation of a more extended piece of country. The river Eyre was very high on Tuesday, and spread over some of the farms in the neighbourhood. This river added to the volume in the north Waimakariri. but it is reported that some of the flood of the latter river was escaping the top of the island cutting, and finding its way into the north branch instead of the south. If this was so, the matter is one which will require attention.

The Church Bush district yesterday came in for more than its usual quota of the flood from the drainage of the Eangiora swamp district.