TREMENDOUS LOSSES IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

Hastings Standard, Issue 300, 19 April 1897, Page 2

TREMENDOUS LOSSES IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

THE DEATH ROLL. TWELVE DEATHS SO FAR RECORDED. A BAND OF HEROES DROWNED

The damage done by the Easter floods thoughout Hawke's Bay must be reckoned by thousands of pounds. Hastings suffered severely, but accounts from all over the district tell of devastation such as never before recorded. Worst of all the cleath roll is very large, and at the time of writing no fewer than twelve lives have been reported as lost. The drowning of ten of the rescue party from Napier is particularly sad, all the victims being being well known and highly respected, and the majority of them being married men with families. The news of their death caused the whole district to be overpread with gloom, and many tributes will be paid to the memory of this gallant band of heroes, who lost their lives in a plucky attempt to rescue those in imminent danger. Scores of narrow escapes from drowning have been reported, and many daring and noble deeds have been done. The flood was at its highest in Hastings at 7 o'clock on Saturday night, by which time all the houses in danger had been vacated. Although the water fell rapidly many homes are still flooded, and it will be some days before most of the dwellings on the flat will be tenantable. The full force of the waters was felt at Clive, and the damage there is tremendous.- At Napier the sea washed into the town and boats were in use in the principal streets. The flood is by far the highest in the memory of even the Natives, and the breaking through of the rivers in places supposed to be impregnable gives one an idea of the tremendous force of the torrents. Houses were swept away with all their contents, bridges were completely cut out, and the waters were dotted with drowned stock. A low estimate of the numbev of sheep lost would be 50,000. Small farmers lost their all, and the big squatters have suffered to the extent of thousands of pounds. Hundreds of poor people have sustained cruel losses, and the w 7 hole effect is most disastrous to Hawke's Bay.* It will be some days before an estimate of the tremendous damage done can be even approximately made, but it is certain that nothing so disastrous bar; happened within the history of the colony.