THE FLOOD.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1508, 4 June 1873, Page 2

THE FLOOD.

Judging from the reports coming to hand, the flood [of yesterday did not do that amount of injury which at one time seemed inevitable. [As we stated in our issue of yesterday, the water in the river had risen to ordinary flood level by midnight on Monday. The rain, which poured without intermission all day on Monday, continued during Monday night and until Tuesday at daylight. Preparations were made by the residents of the lower part of the town, most of whom

were sufferers by the great flood of February, 1872, to seek safety elsewhere, if the water should rise sufficiently to indicate another similar visitation, but fortunately those precautions were not required except in a few instances. During the storm on Monday evening, the steam-tug Dispatch was taken from the usual position when in harbor, and moored at the end of the protective works opposite Johnston street. This was a warning for the other vessels in port to to make everything safe, which was done 'effectively, for we have not heard that any damage occurred to the shipping. From the time of high water on Tuesday morning, the river continued to rise 'rapidly, and by noon the waier was running over the breastworks and down the back streets, through and under the houses into the lower country to the south of the town. The water coming in this direction, and that backing-up through the Tidal Creek put an end to all traffic for a few hours. Immense quantities of drift wood came down with the current, and about eleven o'clock several lots of boards and other descriptions of sawn timber passed, showing that some of the up-country saw-mill proprietors must have suffered. Two ?mpty cargo boats and a smart-looking little skitt broke from their moorings and went over the bar shortly after daylight. About one o'clock, when the greater part of the town was submerged, the slight alarm which was felt, in some degree intensified by the arrival of news from Westport that the heaviest flood yet known there was running down the Buller river, and that one of tlie principal streets of the newly-made Municipality was doomed. Remembering that it might be their own turn next, the residents of Greymouth listened with a becoming semblance of commisseration to the troubles that had and were likely to occur to their fellows in misfortune at Westport. A private telegram from Westport stated that the Empire Hotel, recently erected by Messrs Tonks and Hughes, at Westport, had to be pulled down to "save" it, and that it was expected by four o'clock in the afternoon the work of: demolition and removal would be completed. The coal wharf was swept away, with a quantity of coal> and the other wharves were not expected to stand. Great consternation prevailed, for there: was danger of the greater part of the; town being carried away if the flood con- ! tinned. This was bad enough, and not at all calculated of itself to . revive the depressed spirits of those who had properties within reach of the raging roaring river here, but to make mattsrs worse a report was spread, by persons who should be aware of the danger of disseminating highly-colored and incorrect rumors for the purpose of exhibiting "smartness" and of creating a momentary sensation, that "half the Grey Valley was submerged." So far from this being the case, we learned from a reliable correspondent at Ahaura that at 40 minutes past one in the afternoon, the flood there then wanted to rise three and a-half feet to be as high as the flood in Fehruary, 1872 ; further, that the showery rain which had been coming down seemed to be over. To be certain on the point we placed ourselves in communication with another correspondent at "'Ahaura, and received the following reply by telegraph, transmitted at five o'clock in the afternoon :—? "There was a tolerably large flood today, but nothing extraordinary. No damage is reported. The weather is settled fine, and the river is falling rapidly.'' So much for the submerging of the Grey Valley. At about five in the afternoon the river began to subside rapidly at Greymouth, ahd.by midnight the water was again but slightly higher than the usual level. The stone breastwork stood the current admirably, but owingto the breaks which are made in it for: the convenience of boatmen and >the landing of cattle, a large body of water found access to the Tidal Creek, and this assisted in overflowing the lower-lying portions of the : towni The stone-work did good service* and when the coping is put on it, which is expected to be another two feet high, it is supposed that no floods will again interrupt the business of the town. Something should be done to cbse these breaks in time of flood, so that the water should not overflow the town until it overtopped the wall, but we expect our Engineer will I. rove equal to the occasion. We have uot heard of any damage having taken place worth recording, although there were several narrow escapes— notably in the case of the tug Dispatch, whose larboard paddle-box was interviewed by an enormous snag, but the danger was fortunately got rid of by the activity of the crew. The pile-work at the lower part of Richmond Quay oscillated and swayed about at one time in an alarming manner, and the stability of the woodwork was not at all improved by the continued drag of the tug-boat which was moored to it. To give an unprofessional opinion, it may be taken for granted that if the pile work near the end of Johnston street is not further protected by a strengthening of stone-work it will not stand another such a test as it did yesterday. The outer row of piles likewise did good service in breaking the force of the current, and protecting the bank of the river from injury. On the whole there is good reason for congratulation that what at first seemed as if it would result in a serious calamity passed away in a comparatively harmless manner.