THE GALE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2244, 11 June 1881, Page 3

THE GALE.

The gale last night and to-day, accompanied by a heavy downpour of rain, appear* to bavo been pretty general. In Christchurch it rained heavily all night, and at present there ire no signs of any abatement. The river is rery much swollen, and all the side channels md low lying parts of the town are a perfect iheet of water. There has been very little ivuineis of any description doing in the town ;o-day, and the streets present a particularly jloomy and deserted appearance. Accounts ;o hands from the country districts report a oeavy gale and torrents of rain all night and , Shrongh the day, and, though up to the present no damage appears to have bean done, heavy floods are predicted. Our Northern correspondent, who has travelled round most if the country, reports : 1 OXFORD. ( The rain all night here came down in torrents, and in the low places perfect sheets of water existed so far as the early dawn in which the train starts away would allow us to sec. The roads and railway line were pretty clear. OUST DISTRICT. In this and the West Eyreton district there ] were largo bodies of water collected, and still gathering, for at this time I am writing (8 30 i,m., Bangiora), it is still raining harder than ever with every appearance of the bad weather holding the day through. There is I danger at present of flooding on the Oxford 1 line except at the part near Mr R. L. Higgins’ I gate where the line is low, and may be flooded by midday. It is quite on the cards that there there may be a stoppage this _ evening. The Oust river and drains in the district were all filled to overflowing. There had been very heavy showers at Fernside, judging by the water on the land, BANGIORA. Here the water lays in lagoons all over the country. In the town the drains and side channels were brimful, there being quite a collection of water at the new Bank of New Zealand corner. There were very few passengers by the South train. AMBBBLEY AND BEFTON. In this district there was reported a heavy rainfall and the creeks are full. The Ashley was running bank and bank. It was feared that the traffic on some of the roads would be stopped to-day, but there was little danger the railway line. The passengers in the trains report the Waipara as higher than ever, but the mails are expected to be sent forward over the railway bridge. KAIAPOI. There was a large body of water emptied into the north branch of the Waimakariri from the Byre and Oust, which was much discolored and flooded. The Flaxton and Southbrook districts were pretty free from water. The south branch of the Waimakariri was well filled, but there seemed no danger of flooding. The town was, thanks to improved drainage, singularly free from water, and the river through the borough in its normal oondition, except for discoloration. The overflow at Stewart’s gully no doubt prevented the railway between here and Christchurch from being flooded. Had this channel not been made, the results of the overflow must have proved highly disastrous. The passengers from Oxford, via Eyreton, report that there was a large body of water near Ohoka, which threatens to interfere with traffic this evening, and between Bennett’s and West Eyreton there is an accumulation of water, which threatens to break line. LYTTELTON. The heavy B.W. gale and the continuous rain prevented any work being carried on this forenoon with the shipping. The steamer Hawea, which left Wellington at 4 p.m. yesterday, had not put in an appearance. She probably sheltered lest nigt during the heaviest of the storm, and may therefore not arrive until to-night. [By Tbibqbaph.] ASHBURTON. There has been a continuous fall of rain during the last two days. The rivers in the district have risen rapidly. SYDNEY. At Sydney on Friday evening the weather was clearing on the East Coast after two inches of rain had fallen, but there was fresh depression with heavy grade for N.W. winds appearing at Berth and King George_s_Bound.