DISASTROUS FLOODS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1673, 1 July 1879, Page 3

DISASTROUS FLOODS.

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. The country for the nr;t part was or. Monday relieved from the serious overflow of water upon it. On Tuesday communication across the Waipara would bo restored. The flood at Amberlcy had subsided. The Fowais had gone to its former level, and the Ashley also had gone down very greatly. During Monday the drains brought an immense quantity of water into the rivers, and no doubt the almost complete drainage system of the Ashley county has been more the cause of the lower country having been flooded than the real overflow of the rivers. Around Sefton the water disappeared as quickly as it came on, except that the lower land still contains water. The Ashley, fortunately, did not overflow. In the borough of Eangiora the streets were as dry as usual. As slated in our Monday’s issue, the moat serious flooding in the North has been caused by the overflow of the Cast across the Mandeville and Eangiora swamp district, which is now under the control of a Board of Conservators, and tho bursting of the Eyre over a part of the Eyreton district, both of which overflows enter_ the north branch of the Waimakariri “hove Kniapoi and produced a deluge over tho Church Bush and part of tho lands clofc to the borough. The Gust to commence with broke over at No. 1

Drain road in two or three places, the strongest flow being opposite Mr Doak’s farm, who Buffered loss to his land and by the drowning of sheep. Mr Kearney’s farm was also inundated, and Mr Neilaen’s and Mr Kennedy’s. To the west of No. 1 drain, Messrs Burrell’s, Wilson s and Luxton’a sections came in for the overflow. A bridge over No. 3 drain was carried away. The Oust broke over Mr R. Chapman’s ran, and went down in largo volumes in that direction. The overflow opposite Kearney’s made its way through Messrs Todd’s and Sansom a farms on to Boys’ direct road, thence over the Northern Railway through Mr M. Duncan’s, in the direction of the Church Bush, and here entered the Cam. In its progress this overflow for some twelve or fourteen hours covered several thousands of acres, but the damage in many cases is looked t pon as temporary, only in the case of the drowning of a few head of stock, sheep, pig**, and poultry. The main drain through Flaxton from the Gust brought down a large body of water on to the property near Flaxton church, the force of the current being such as to blow up a brick and concrete bridge here, the wreck plainly showing with what force the stream swept away the approaches, thus entailing damage to the structure. The farms of Messrs Stark, Stevenson, Pearson, Mnlcock, and others were hero for a time under water. The drain further, near the Drain road bridge, burst its banks, which caused the flow of water on to the Northern railway, down Boy’s road, to receive a largo augmentation. At the Cust the valley was flooded and the road bridge approaches over the river injured. Here some idea of the force of the stream may bo gained from the fact that at the Stoke Grange Lodge the doors had to be left open to allow a passage for the current in order to save the building. A large body of water found an outlet down the Oxford road towards Fernside, as much of it as could find vent entering Dockey Creek, The flood made its way to the Fernside school, which was surrounded. The stream from the road and the creek during Sunday became united, and over some of the farms there was a perfect lagoon. Mr Kelcher had the water about 2ft. in his house. The flood from the Cu»t come in waves, and with soma amount of violence. The Eyre overflow, which was the moat serious, arose first on the Hon. J. T. Peacock’s property at Swannanoa, and spread out over some hundreds of acres in a few miles. The bulk of the flood passed Eyreton, behind Messrs Denton's and Beal’s farms, and down the roads in its course, spreading on to several of the farms, off which it has as quickly disappeared. The strain on the Eyre bridge was exceedingly severe, owing to the probable accumulation of fencing materials and debris. So great was the test to which it was subjected, that some of the piles on the upper side have given way. One of the greatest sufferers about here will be Mr G. Bailey, whose fences were taken away to an alarming extent and his stock with difficulty rescued. At Loveday’s, his family had to bo removed very early on Sunday morning. Mr Dixon’s Eyra embankment gave way in the general pressure, causing a flood on that gentleman’s farm. From Mr T. Burgess’, the water found its way into the Waimakariri, near Mr Chapman’s corner. With this addition to the north branch of the Waimakariri here, and the addition of tho Cast overflow into the Cam, and thence to tho same branch above Kaiapoi, an estimate may he formed of the immense body of water which that river was called upon to discharge into the sea. No doubt the Eyre drainage will never find any other outlet, but it seems to be only proper that the Cust overflow should receive its discharge into the Ashley. Instead of allowing the Cust to flood such a valuable tract of land as that extending away from Fernside to Flaxton, and by filling the Waimakariri prevent the discharge of the Eyro and consequent flooding of other lands, it would be far the wiser course to lead the Cust overflow through a stonoy flat to the Ashley, which latter river is better able to contain it than any other. The joint streams from the Eyre and Cust spread at the outlet across the lower part of the Ohoka and Flaxton district. In the former,_ in spite of the good order in which the drains were in, the farm of Mr Whits was partly flooded, and about seventy sheep drowned. The farms referred to in Monday’s issue, and a few head of cattle belonging to Messrs Evans, Kinley, Milligan, Wickham, and Perrin wore drowned. The road bridges over the Waimakariri and main drain on the KaiapoiRangiora road stood well, and have not been damaged. The settler* at the Church Bush had a more than usual supply of flood water, but it was rapidly diminishing on Monday. At the brewery and woollen factory the volume bad gone down very greatly.

THE PENINSULA. Our Aknroa correspondent telegraphed yes terday —Every] hour brings accounts of the disastrous effects of the gale of Saturday evening. From all parts of the Peninsula there are tidings of land slips, and bridges and roads carried away. On .the main road between here atd Christchurch not a bridge has escaped uninjured. The large bridge in German bay is a complete wreck, and the mail coach was with difficulty got over by assistance of the passengers. The Akaroa and Wainui Eoad Board suffer to the extent of many thousand pounds. Mr Williams, the chairman of the County Council and Eoad Board, has been untiring in hia exertions during Sunday and to-day to keep the main roads open. No such floods have visited the Peninsula in the memory of the oldest French residents. EAKAIA. Little damage has been done to the formation of the Eakaia and Aahbnrton-Forks line of railway, with the exception of a portion of the bridge and its approaches, near Mr Coster’s, being washed away. This will necessitate the bridge being made about twice its former length, but need not cause any delay in the permanent way. The roads, fences, and property of every kind throughout the district have suffered to a greater or less extent, and it will be months before matters arc again brought to their original condition. AMBEELEY. Our correspondent at Amberley telegraphed last night :—lt is raining very heavily, and there is every prospect of another flood to-night. The creek is rising fast. EAST MALYEEN. The most destructive flood ever experienced in this district occurred on Friday night and Saturday, reaching its height on Sunday about 1 p.m. Tho water-race, which was thought by the inhabitants to be much too deep, was found to he totally insufficient to carry the great volume of water passing down it on Saturday night, and about 1 p.m. on Sunday the falls, which are of wood, began to give way. As each one broke the sound resembled that of thunder, and out of more than eighty only seven or eight are left, and they are in a very shaky condition. Singular to say the one at the lower end of the race] opposite to Willis’ old accommodation house is still standing. Perhaps this may ho attributed to the fact that there is a dam at the end of the race, about a chain below tho last fall. Nino or ten of the falls are now in a heap at tho end of tho race, having been carried over tho embankment and deposited there. Several of them are below the Hawkins bridge two miles from tbo end of tho race. In many places the water has made a clean broach through the shingle which was thrown out of tho race during its construction, the height of tho shingle being about four feet and a similar width. By the eddyings, which were very numerous above the Malvern telegraph office, it is supposed that tho shingle has scoured out to n depth of three to four foot below the bed of the race. The estimated damage dono to the water-race is from .£I2OO to .£ISOO. The formation of tho extension lino from Sheffield to Kowai Pass has heeu in many places swept away for chains. The formation was nearly completed, and, in fact, several loads of sleepers had been carted on to the ground, many of which have been drifted away, although only lately cut of green black birch. The contractor, Mr Bcnham, estimates the damage at not loss than £SOO. In tho township of Sheffield logs of timber 30ft. long and Ift. square are lying on the crown of tho rosd, and posts, rails, stakes, and timber are strewn about in great quantities. T ho north-west approach to the Hawkins’ bridge has been washed away, and half of tbo timber carried away bodily. This will be a serious loss to Mr Jcbson, as ho will have no opportunity of carting his fire clay and coal until the approach is made up. Mr Jebson only finished filling up a breach, which had been made by a fresh in tbo Hawkins, on Thursday last, having dona the work with his own men at his own risk. The ballasting of tho permanent way has been washed out in many places, and a few of the sleepers. The platelayers were at work all day on Sunday, and the train was able to stirt at its usual time this morning. Some tracks which wore on tho siding near to tho coal dip aro buried half way np to the axles in shingle. The farmers in the district are heavy losers, miles of fencing being washed away. There was no telegraphic communication between Malvern and Christchurch on Sunday night.

THE DAMAGE TO THE RAILWAYS. As might have been expected, the recent heavy rains have done a large amonnt of damage both on the main south line of railway and the northern one. As far as is known at present the railway arrangement of trains will be the same tc-day as yesterday, bnt energetic steps have been taken by the railway authorities to at once repair those portions of the lino that have been injured by tho heavy floods. Yesterday the trains could proceed no further than Solwyn, the lino being blocked as far as the Waitaki, but every endeavor will be made consistent with the safety of the public to take the train to Ashburton.

No specific information has been received as to tho details of the injury done to tho railway line in the Dunedin section, but it is understood generally to be very serious. BCUTIS LINE. ■ 1 , ' From information received from the railway authorities we learn that at half-past six o’clock the Washdjko bridge, was badly damaged, and it will take two or three days to get clear. Up to seven • o’clock last Might it was stated that the culvert four miles hqr|h of Baling, near Ashburton, was washed clean out, and that there wag seven feet of water in the opening, while at a dist.nce of three feet and a half from the permanent way the water was ten feet deep, extending to a distance of thirty-three feet. The flood at Waimata Junction at 4 p.m. yesterday had abated about a foot, and at that time a party of men had started to work north, with the Waimate engine and a special gang of men. At Chertsey a gang of men left at eight o’clock yesterday to repair the break, but they wire delayed for an hour half a mile from Dromore, in consequence of a chain of the permanent way, near the big culvert, having given way. At II a.m. yesterday the weather at Chertsey showed no signs of moderating. From Selwyn, we learn that at half-past nine yesterday morning, although the water had gone, the line was impassable beyond the crossing, and the probability is that traffic will not be resumed until late to-day. At two o’clock yesterday, it was anticipated that traffic would be resumed by noon to-day. Near Bolleston, there were a considerable number of small breaks in the lino, but little water was running. Ballast to repair the breaks is being obtained from tho sides of the line. At the time monioned, there was no prospect of even the ballast engine being got beyond the Selwyn station.. Bather serious damage has been done to the line three miles from Springston, where twenty chains have been washed away. The line has also been broken through at Southbridge, the repairs to which will probably stop the traffic for the next two days, a gang of men being put on which will lessen the delay. The train yesterday afternoon from Horndon southward could only get a mile and a half past the Hawkins. NORTH LINE. The North mainline passengertrainleft Hornby at 7.35 p.m. last night. Prom Kaiapoi to West Oxford the line is reported to be in good order. The branch line from Kaiapoi to Christchurch is scoured at the main drain bridge, so that no train could be sent out. In consequence of the force of the water across the lino, it was impossible to proceed with the repairs yesterday. With regard to the North line the KaiapoiByreton branch has been sufficiently repaired to abow the morning and evening train to run, but the line between Kaiapoi and Flaxton will not permit of communication between Kaiapoi and Rangiora The train arrangements to day will be the same as yesterday. The following additional particulars have been furnished by a correspondent of the damage dona to tho northern line. The breach let ween Balcairn and Sefton was finished on Sunday afternoon, aud trains ran from Amberley to Rangiora as usual. _ The damage on the Rangiora and Cust section is expected to be finished to-day. The repairs to the Kaiapoi-Bennett’s section were complete on Monday in time to allow the evening train to proceed, and traffic to Oxford is now resumed. Thera is about three-quarters of a mile of tho main line from Eyreton Junction to Flaxton to be repaired. Several places at which the ballast had bsen washed away between Mr Duncan’s and Sonthbrook had been repaired by mid-day. Workmen wore proceeding on Monday evening to repair the damaged part of the line at Flaxton, from which the water has hardly, however, subsided. Till the main hue is finished, the mid-day trains are not likely to run. It will take at least two days to complete this portion of the lino. TIMARU DISTRICT. Timaetj, June 30._ Onr correspondent telegraphs : —Heavy rain was falling in this district from Saturday morning till Sunday afternoon, and off and on to-day. Yesterday part of the Temuka and Washdyke townships were several feet deep in water, and boats had to be sent from Timarn to take the people out of their houses. A number of narrow escapes are reported. The whole of the level country was one sheet of water, but during the night the lagoons burst, and to-day the rivers have greatly subsided. Railway traffic is entirely stopped. Several bridges and a great deal of the formation was washed away, and traffic will not be resumed for several days. No mails or any sort of communication bnt by telegraph is possible. Every effort is being made to repair the railway line, but the weather is still threatening. No loss of life is reported by tho floods, but great loss of stock in Waimate district. Messrs Blackett, Blair, and Lowe, railway engineers, are here at present, and in active communication with other parts of the island.