THE FLOOD IN THE GREY VALLEY,

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1771, 9 April 1874, Page 2

THE FLOOD IN THE GREY VALLEY,

[from our own correspondent.] The upper parts of the Valley have again been subjected to an inundation which, from its extent and contiunance might almost be described as a deluge. The fine, but unfortunately too dry weather of the last few weeks broke on Saturday afternoon, when the sky became overcast, and filled with those peculiar grey-colored smoky-looking clouds, which indicate heavy and incessant rains, especially when there is an absence of high . winds. It began to rain at three in the afternoon, and by sundown it was coming down freely, evidently with an intention of •' making a night of it." It rained all night, and by eight o'clock on Sunday morning the Ahaura and Grey Rivers had risen sufficiently to stop the woring of the punts and make the fords j impassable. The rain continued during Sunday, until about four in the afternoon, when it ceased for a while, and there seemed to be a break in the bad weather. This was only momentary, for by sundown it was again raining, with every ap-

peavance of a continuance during the nisjht, winch was eventually the case. The rivers and creeks were steadily rising till day, Hut the water had not attained anything like a hi»h flood level by the time darkness came on on Sunday, so that it was reckoned it would be about midnight before the greatest body of water reached Ahaura from the upper streams and tributaries. The rain during Sunday night, and particularly towards daylight on Monday morning, was exceptionally heavy, and was now accompanied with gusty squalls of high wind. It is the occurrence of this wind late in the storm, and when the ground was thoroughly saturated by the previous rains, that has caused so much damage to the roads, and in the mining districts by blowing down large trees, causing obstructions to the traffic in the one case, and injuring fluming and waterworks in the other. The rain ceased on Monday afternoon, after continuing with scarcely an intermission for 45 hours. By noon on Monday, the Ahaura river had reached the highest mark of the great flood in February, 3872, and at four in the afternoon it attained its highest pitch, and began to fall slowly. The Grey rivei did hot at any time during this flood reach as high a level comparatively as the Ahaura, which, at a quarter-past four on Monday, was twenty inches higher than the level of the highest previous storm water mark. In consequence of the increase in the number of small patches of cnltivation in the low lying country below the town, a good many people were interested in the state of the river, and consequently the rise of the water was anxiously watched throughout Monday by a number of spectators about the grounds attached to St. Mary ? s school. Much sympathy was expressed for the residents along the rivers lower down, and also for the people of Greymonth, for it was thought that a much greater amount of damage would be done than that made known when the mail arrived on Tuesday. The telegraph wires got out of gear during Sunday night and all means of communicating with the seaboard was cut off on Monday. By noon on Monday the water had partially covered Gongh's island, near Ahaura, and the land about and below the boat-landing as far as the eye could reach was totally submerged. A few hours later the island was completely under water, a circumstance which did not occur during any previous flood. A branch of the river had broken through, and was rushing down the dray road to the Landing, gradually deepening and widening its channel, until at last a strip of land, comprising portions of the gardens of St. Mary's School, Messrs Whitefoord, Edwarda, Greenwood, Goodall, and Lewis, had been undermined and washed away, taking several chains of fencing, which stood ou Father Pertius's land. The eastern end of Gough's island, which had stood and formed a sort of natural protective work for the lower cultivations during all former floods, began to dis appear at midday, and there is little more than half the area of this patch of land loft now. The cultivations of MessrH Kennedy, Nottle, and Wooley, between the Ahaura and Happy Jack's Creeks, are more or less damaged, chiefly through the deposition of great quantities of silt by the flood, all over the pasture and grass lands. It is feared that the farms of Mp.sc-" -J^llie and Craig Brothers, at Bushholme, will aho suffer -injury, but particulars of the effects of the flood in that locality have not yet reached Ahaura. In the upper country the damage inflicted has not been serious. The farms of Messrs Johnston and the O'Malleys were flooded, with trifling injury to the housed and stacked crops. The punt at the Little Grey Junction was slightly damaged by snags, and it is reported that the ferry boat was carried away early in the flood, and if so the residents at the Junction would be in a dangerous predicament had the Grey river risen to its greatest flood level. On Totara Flat the river encroached slightly on the bottom lands of Messrs Methven, Donald, M'Kinlay, and Alcorn, and d urine; Monday the water in Brandy Jack's Greek overflowed, in consequence of being backed up by the Grey river, and spread ajl over fche adjacent lands, con- ' verting them for several hours into a vast lagoon. The main road is injured about here by the waters washing over it. The "plantation" of Mr James Marshall, on the Half-Ounce road after leaving Totara Flat, was under water, in consequence of the overflowing of Duffer Creek. The " hands" were washed out of course, and had to retire to the " big house" on the flat for a holiday. The water from Orwell Creek, near .Ahaura, spread all over Gasworks Flat partially inundating the brewery of James and Sons, and the farm of William Day, but did not effect much injury. Had the directors of the survey of the Nelson and Oobden railway who have just been faying off the course of the line with the necessary bridges for crossing the river and stream around Ahaura, happened to pass this way during the flood, they would have learned a few facts in connecwith the "land arid water" of this particular locality, a knowledge of which might suggest very extensive alterations in the lme of direction they have taken for the proposed course of the railway. As stated before, the punt on the Ahaura ceased working on Sunday morning, but the road lower down must have been impassable before that time. It was discovered on Tuesday, as soon as it was possible to travel about, that the bridge over the Creek, near M'Kenna's brewery, had been washed away, and that the road between Nelson Creek and Ahaura was blocked up in several places with fallen timber. Mitchell's bridge across Nelson Creek stood the pressure of the flood well, but as the ptructure is not finished it was not of any practicable value. Between Nelson Creek and the JVew Twelve-Mile Landing the most damage seems to be' done, both to the road and the telegraph line. The road was blocked with timber and landslips, and the wire was in several places lying buried and broken among the debris. A bridge across one of the branches of Red Jack's Creek, and several of the culverts on this part of the road were carried away. The bridge across the Arnold. river held its own, although it is said it was subjected to seyeial very severe tests by heavy logs and snags dashing against the foundations and superstructure. The up-country mail, notwithstanding all the dangers and obstacles which were in the way of travelling, reached Ahaura with astonishing punctuality oa Tuesday, shortly after midday. The performance of this feat : by Mr Marchassean and Mr John Gilmer who accompanied him, is worthy of notioe became they had to out their way literally

and to swim all the swollen streams. The arrival later in the day of Mr J. E. Hawley, of the Telegraph Department, who had, after a deal of actual hard work, personally succeeded in freeing the telegraph wire, connecting the breaks in it, and re-opening communication between Greymcuth and Ahaura before five o'clock in the afternoon is also worth recording, because it shows the promptitude with which steps were taken to remedy the inconvenience to the public caused by the unforeseen accidents of the weather. In connection with this it may be mentioned that as soon as the extent of the damage to the road became known Mr George Nottel, the overseer of works for the Nelson Government, placed a number of men at work to remove the obstructions to the traffic, and it is expected that the communication will be thoroughly reestablished in four or five days. . Taking into consideration the magnitude and extent of the inundation, there is conicomparatively little damage done, but this may be partly accounted for by the fact that fair warning was given in the gradual rising of the rivers which gave time for preparation, especially about the old Twelve-Mile Landing and at the Ikamatua, where large herds of horned cattle are usually running within reach of floods. These were driven above high water-mark and thus saved. There was also the fact that there was very little snow on the ranges, and this prevented the water from rushing down in too large a volume at once. Altogether there is good reason to be thankful to Providence that this visitation, which might under other circumstances have been a terrible calamity, passed away in a comparitively I harmless manner.