AFTER THE FLOOD.

Hastings Standard, Issue 300, 19 April 1897, Page 3

AFTER THE FLOOD.

"Iferterday hundreds of people in traps drove to the edge of the flood waters in Ifavclock road, the procession lasting all day. Although the water had receeded considerably, there was still plenty to be seen, and hundreds of houses were partly under water, in some cases half way to the roof. Clegg's house off Havelock road w as deeper than any of the surrounding ones, and everything in the building must have been destroyed. Mr Brook Taylor s cottage came in for a fair share of tbe water and had to be deserted for three days. The bouses that suffered most on the flat were occupied by Messrs Lincoln, Rich. Ilenty, Johnson, Cammock, Connor, Maekay, Berry, Dunn, Tait, Stack, Betley, Simpson. O'Connor, Barrv, Quiuuev, Moore, Murphv. Wells, YVaddeli, Mibel, Thou ipson, Lean, Scott, Matheson. Hulse, Ryer, Harper, Elsby, Casey, Sinclair, Castle, P. (iallelue, M. Gallelue. Brown, Bray, and Elliott. A number of houses south and east of Murdoch road are in a b id state, and tbe water is still three feet deep in many of them. Mr Murdoch's house escaped, as also did his stock. It is probable that the water will not be out of some of houses for two or three days yet. Tbe loss of poultry and pigs in the locality is very great. An estimate of the damage cannot possibly be arrived at for some time. To-day many of the families in Riverslea road and Dulterin street returned to their homes to had everything ruined. On Friday night a Native named Kariatana was going home from Tomoana to the Waipatu Pah, along the railway line, when he was overtaken by the flood. The current was too great for him to retrace his steps and he was compelled to take off his clothes and swim to a tree about half-a-mile distant. The current was so great that he had considerable difficulty in bitting his mark. After remaining in .the tree for a couple of hours he swam for the roof of an old shed. All the occupants of the Pah had left and Kariatana was stranded all night, without a stitch of clothes on, oil the roof of the shod. He was taken oft' in the morning in a half perished state. **" Yesterday several loads of bread and provisions were sent to the famishing people at Give. Messrs Maddison and Co. sent down a large cart load and this morning followed with another. Mr J. Cullen distributed a load of bread, and Messrs Tong and J. Rivers were engaged all day in alleviating the hunger of the distress. Mr Tong had a narrow escape of a serious accident while engaged in good work yesterday. An oilskin he was wearing va"s caught in a trap - and he was thrown heavily on the ground, receiving a shaking. A painful sight was witnessed at Give, when a little boy, drenched to the skin, arrived from the back country beseeching for food for his sick mother and 11 children, who had nothing to eat whole days, lie was .sent back rejoicing. In a stock yard at Give the whole of Mr Keilly's dairy cows are lying dead, piled up several feet high. Some of the cows had been bailed up prior to milking and had to be left to their fate. Dead sheep stranded against wire fences may be seen in all directions. Many of the sufferers at Farndon were without a particle of food from Friday morning until Saturday night, when a boat fullv provisioned by MrG. H. Swan, of Napier, arrived ou the scene. The boat was in charge of Pilot Kraeft. At Give the water was 2ft higher thnn the highest recorded flood. Mr O'Connell and Constable Kennedy are specially mentioned for many heroic deed* at Give and Farndon. Messrs Ilarry Glazebrook and Frith also rendered yoeman service. Constable Butler left for Give early this nicrninir in charge of y<>o loaves and provi-ion-. lie found the road lined with -iu'.:—<-er-\ The water bad fallen con-iderably. and many of the residents w ere returning to their homes. Supplies had aLa been received from Napier. Constable Butler reports that there are no tidings as to the titiding of any of the bodies of those drowned.