THE WAIMAKARIRI FLOODS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1048, 6 November 1877, Page 2

THE WAIMAKARIRI FLOODS.

LATEST PARTICULARS. Again the northern district has sustained as severe disaster in the serious flood caused by the overflow of the Waimakariri. The damage done by crops being inundated and fences destroyed is a matter of great loss and concern to a number of industrious farmers on Eaiapoi Island and in the vicinity of Chaney’s. The almost total destruction of the northern railway for the distance of a mile near Chaney’s will be a matter for concern to travellers and those who intended to visit the races or agricultural show, besides being a source of serious cost to the country. A few brief particulars of the effects of the floods have already been published. The following further information was telegraphed to us last evening by our Kaiapoi correspondent, at ten minutes past five o’clock, the Telegraph Department, on the principle of taking advantage of calamities, charging us double rates for the same, instead of, as might be imagined, offering extra facilities when postal communication is interrupted and irregular : In this instance no warning telegram from the Bealey informed the public <3 the approaching flood, although the river was greatly discolored on Saturday. The worst seemed to have been past till Sunday at noon, when the flood came down in full force, the main current washing down the south branch and a large body down the Island cutting. The former meeting the latter opposite the railway line sent the largest body of water in the direction of the railway that has been ever known; in its course fairly levelling sand-hills, tearing up sleepers and rails, spreading the debris on to Stewart’s farm and over the lowest country, and returning to the main body below the railway bridge. As on former occasions a large body of water was backed over the farms on the north side of the road from White’s bridge, the small bridges being immersed over the hand-rails. The floor of one of the bridges was floated away and on Monday, when the river subsided, as the rest of the road became passable this remained a barrier to traffic. Mails and papers for the North were conveyed by a horseman round a higher part of the Island. Arrangements might have been made first thing on Monday to establish moans of communication by the road as passengers could have crossed the chasm from which the bridge had gone on two 24ft planks, only there appears to have been no one possessed of enterprise enough to start the thing. The surveyor of the Eyreton Board gent timber and men to the spot in the afternoon, and to-morrow the road may be open. Several horsemen, after proceeding along the road through water to the saddle flaps, swam the obstructing ditch. The hand-rails of other small bridges had gone, but the floor remained firm. At White’s bridge the contractors for the new one would be heavy losers in scaffolding timber. The new bridge is alongside the old one, and the rubbish collecting against both formed a serous dam to the main stream. In reference to the railway works, the south approach of the bridge has been considerably affected by gcour, while the current bids fair

to remove the groin above it. Messrs Knight and Leech, with gangs of men, were at work repairing damage as far as possible, but it will be some days before the water fairly subsides. It will then probably be thought best to restore the line on piling, so as to obviate the possibility of further loss and serious destruction. The last repairing job cost nearly £3OOO. This will be more costly. The following additional particulars are furnished by one of our representatives, who yesterday proceeded as far as the Belfast Bail way station Owing to the heavy fresh in the Waimakariri, which has again caused the traffic between Chaney’s and Kaiapoi to be temporarily suspended, orders were issued to the railway officials to book passengers no further than Belfast station. When the morning train reached there it was found that, although the water had subsided about a foot, still, owing to the breaches made by the hood, it would be some time before communication could he restored. At fifty yards beyond Chaney’s the first serious break occurred, some twenty sleepers being displaced by the shingle, &c., beneath them having been scoured away. Some half-a-mile nearer Kaiapoi about three chains of the permanent way had been breached by the waters, rails and sleepers alike having sunk into the flood, which the heavy nor’-wester was lashing into the semblance of a miniature sea. Further on a similar sight was to be seen. At once the question arose, how to cross the mails, &c., to Kaiapoi, when Mr Twentyman Hudson, at the request of Mr Webb, the station master, undertook the somewhat perilous task ; the more so, as the very uncertain state of the roads had prevented any coaches being laid on to convey the railway passengers to and fro—it not being considered safe for traffic. Serious fears were apprehended, owing to its raining heavily on the hills during the day, that the floods had not permanently abated, and the river rose for some hours. At 4 p.m. it began to go down a little. The mailman, in endeavouring to cross the turbid waters this afternoon, drowned his horse and soaked the mail bags, Mr Lock also narrowly escaping. The flood, it may be noted, has also washed the scaffolding from the new bridge over the Waimakariri.