THE FLOODS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1520, 31 December 1878, Page 3

THE FLOODS.

THE WAIMAKARIRI. On Monday the flood on this river had subsided, so that the farms and the iNorth road on Kaiapoi Island were clear. The damage done to one or two of tho crops k not looked on as very serious, as the subsequent rain will clear them. The injury done to tho north bank, near the road' between Mr Tibbot's house and Elmwood, is however of a very serious character, the current having cut away the hedge, and nearly reaching the metallmg. Mr Wright, surveyor of the Eyreton Road Board, placed men at once to fence along the breach, and persons travelling are cautioned by a notification in another part of this issue. The channel made at Stewart's committed great havoc with the railway line, undermining and sweeping away the packing under it for the distance oi a chain or two. At the north end the metals and sleepers wore dangling across like a suspension bridge. The new bridge, all the piles of which are driven, was surrounded with water, extonding about 100 ft beyond each end, and at tho north end an immense scour into the same caused the sudden fall of the steam engine and monkey belonging to the bridge contractor, Mr Wilson. It was recovered ;with somo difficulty on Monday. Large gangs of railway hands .were ( *,aged from an early hour effecting re- , nam . /'he line, and putting in the trestles •■■?■' « Yiich the line is to be carried, but it is .red the work will be delayed with the rain. " All the sleepers used for packing up the line after the last Hoods were swept away from the portions subjected to the scour of the current. The cost of the Stewart's gully patehwork must long ere this have become a formidable item in the cost of repair to the constructed and misHamed permanent railways of the Middle Island. Goaded by the freely expressed opinions of the public, the railway engineers are said to be well nigh frantic at the very mention of Stewart's. The railway bridge weathered the storm, and the dray bridge on the north road higher up the river was not affected. The south approach of the island south dray bridge was scoured away sufficiently to take in a four-roomed house. The necessary repairs here are being carried out with every dispatch. The communication north from Chainey's station to Kaiapoi is kept up by a heterogeneous collection of horse vehicles on two and four wheels, and the railway department refuses to book passengers through or forward parcels till its trouble is over.

THE RANGITATA BRIDGE. Since the late fresh in the Rangitata, some three months since, the resident railway engineer (Mr Lowe) has had a body of men constantly employed in driving piles to strengthen the railway bridge spanning this most troublesome river, and so nearly had the work reached completion that on Thursday last only two spans of the bridge remained to fee rendered secure. On Friday morning, December 27th, at six a.m., the foreman in charge of the working gang noticed unmistakable signs of the bridge giving way. The locality of the " fault" was the last pier but one at the south end of the bridge from Rangitata North. He immediately communicated with Mr Ennis, the sub-insiector, who lost no time in leaving Ashbuion for the bridge. After inspection, he telegraphed to the resident engineer, tbd result leing that all traffic across the bridge by trail was at once suspended. The pasrengers aid mails, on the arrival of the first Jrain, were iaken across by trolly. This arrangement waß continued till the last train on Saturcay. From that time till midright the river rose rapidly, and finally carried away with ;errific force the damaged pier and a derrick which had been erected to support the jeopa'dised portion of the bridge. The men comnenced rigging a new derrick at daybreak on Smday morning. At about 1.30 p.m. on that lay the remaining pier of the south end of tb northern portion of the bridge was carrid away, causing the of the bidge to sink for about nine feet, twisting the nils in all direction?. It need scarcely be said that such a serious deflection caused a very great additional weight, increasing the Btran by several thousand tons. At this juncture all was confusion on the worts, part of the?ang drawing off the derrick engine to the souhward, and part dragging the pile trolly towrds the former part 0? the bridgo, whilst thewrecked portion, lashed by tho vast volume of water, swayed to and fro in a manner indcative of its speedily following the detached piles in their seaward course. Tho Sub-inspector, Mr Junes, at once telegraphed to Christchurch to tho Resident Engineer, Mir Lowe, who issued notices to the effect that no passengers could cross the bridge on fo)t till further notice. From that time till ovr reportor visited the bridge yesterday nothing has been done. Fortunately the w&ter is rapidly subsiding, and the only hope of the damage being speedily repaired is that no nor'wester may come on in the interval to cause any delay or further damage. If Buch should occur, nothing can save the now tottering mass from destruction. Tho damaged part of the bridge is about 140 yards in length, and in order to render it fit for even trolly traffic a great deal of work will have to be done. At the very earliest it will be Thursday before passengers can be crossed in this manner.