THE FLOODS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 819, 6 February 1877, Page 3

THE FLOODS.

THE SOUTHERN LINE. The rain falling on Friday and Saturday had the effect of causing a large accumulation of surface water on the north side of the Southern Railway, in the sort of basin which exists between North Rangitata Station and the Hinds. About 10 p.m. on Saturday, the water, which had been steadily rising, came up to the level of the line, and found its way through the ballast in various places. As the result of this was to scour away the ballast and threaten to undermine the sleepers, a telegram was despatched to town apprising the railway officials of the imminence of the danger. A gang of men, under Mr Knight, Inspector of Permanent Way, were immediately despatched to the scene. By dint of hard and incessant work, the line was so far repaired as to allow of the ordinary trains from Timaru and Christchurch to run as usual without any interruption. The damage to the line commenced at the 68th mile peg, between North Rangitata and the Hinds, and about two miles from the former. The line waß however damaged at short intervals the entire distance between those two points. This portion of the line passes through a kind of basin, the fall being towards the southern or sea side of the line. A largo quantity of water had collected on the northern side, which backed up against the line, rising steadily and scouring against it. As might be expected, it was not long in finding its way through the ballast, and several large breaches were made, the water running like a mill race. This was the case at the commencing point of the damage. Coming towards the Hinds large quanties of water had accumulated on the land adjoining the railway, and had risen level with the sleepers. Here the water was over the topß of the fences and a quantity of land is under water. Alongside the line the water was from four to five feet deep notwithstanding that large gaps had been cut in the line by the workmen to allow of it passing through. Just before reaching the Hinds Station considerable damage has been done to the line, the ballast having been scoured completely away and there is here a perfect lake of water collected and backed up by the line. On the Christchurch side of the Hinds several breaches have been made in the permanent way and a large body of water is flowing through the temporary culverts. The Hinds itself is very full indeed, as are all the rivers to the southward, the Temuka and Opihi especially so. Coming towards Ashburton South there is only one bad place. Here the water has risen and covered the road to some depth, besidus being level with the railway sleepers. In fact quite a river has been formed. Beyond this no damage has been done. Mv Knight and the men under his charge deserve every credit for the admirable manner in which they have worked, and the rapidity with which the damage, in some places very serious, has been repaired. No less than eight or nine temporary bridges have been constructed, besides the reballasting of the line where the water had scoured the ballast away. It will thus be seen that a great deal of work had to be done in a very short time, and it has been so done aa not to interfere in any way with the traffic, the regular trains running through without interruption. THE NORTHERN RIVERS. The Waimakariri on Sunday night, when it was at the highest during the present flood, did not reach so high a level as was anticipated, and in the town of Kaiapoi it only came up to the foot of the embankments. Late in the afternoon the pent-up overflow from Chainey's corner towards the railway line forced a breach at the northern end of the section, which received the damage at last flood. The effect of this relief to the lake which had collected on the west side of the rails was instantly seen and caused the stream in the direction of the farms on the island, as well as the backwater in the north river, to fall two or three inches, and after high tide the danger of any further rise was past. There were no less than five large breaches made in the line by the flood scouring holes under the sleepers, leaving both timbers and metals suspended. On Monday the 7.45 a.m. down train proceeded only a short distance beyond Chainey's, and the passengers from the north were brought thither from Kaiapoi in a coach and a waggon, the Government only undertaking to forward those holding return tickets. The mid-day train did not run along the line at all. The 4.40 p.m train went through, the damaged parts having been trussed up with sleepers. There was a large gang of men on under the engineer, and the repairs were made without unnecessary loss of time. Traffic along the line is now partly resumed.