THE FLOODS IN CANTERBURY.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 60, 24 February 1868, Page 47

THE FLOODS IN CANTERBURY.

We . take the : following from the Canterbury •Times-oftließthinst:— -j "

Again has the result of a fresh in our principal r >vers made itself felt, but instead of the damage being, as hitherto, chiefly confined to oue locality, it has on this occasion ranged over a large portion of the province. Road communication has been entirely cut off with most of the inland towns; the telegraph has ip most places been broken down, and rumours are constantly arriving of bridges being carried away by this unexpected and unprecedented flood.

Yesterday morning, by one o’clook, the banks below Madras-street bridge had been topped, and the road on either side became flooded. By this time large crowds had collected on aU the bridges on Oxford-terraoe, where men were employed in keeping the piles clear of debris , in order that as little opposition as possible might be offered to the stream. Shortly before three, the overflow commenced at the bottom of Glouccster-street, the river being level with the buttresses of the Government foot-bridge, Lane’s mill, and Montrealstreet bridges, and flowing over the. flooring of Worcester-street bridge. So rapidly did the stream increase in volume that within a quarter of an hour the road from Lane’s Mill to beyond the Government buildings was entirely under water, and the houses in the immediate vicinity were shortly afterwards flooded. Great apprehensions were entertained for the safety of Lane’s Mill, and between four and five o’clock a large quantity of the goods stored therein were removed. -The water now covered the greater portion of. the waste land between the river and the drill-shed, whilst on the left bank, below Madrasstreet bridge the road was impassable. At seven o’clock the whole of the block containing the Postoffice and Market-place was knee-deep under water, and communication until both the Victoria and Colombq-street bridges was entirely cut off for pedestrians. The Golden Fleece Hotel appeared to have become the general stand for all the cabs iu the town,-and here, after dark, were collected a large number of both Hansom’s and four-wheelers, ready to ferry people over the flooded land to the bridges, In this they were continually employed, their lights flitting about in the darkness like so many “ Will o’ the wisps.” At half-past twelve this morning, the overflow, appeared to have reached its full height and shortly after it very visibly began to retire from the higher ground. Before this, the Post-office was from three to four feet under water, whilst the flow from near the Government foot- bridge had made its way up Qloucesi;er-street and effected a junction with that proceeding from the Market-place. Mr Hargreaves office was' the highest point reached in Cathedral square, and' Mr Deamer’s residence, the highest in' Arinagh-street. Cabs were plying to and fro at the Colombo-street bridge, the greater portion of the night/and we, may mention that one mlan in attempting itocross/it in the earjier. part of. the evening, was very nearly drowned; The information .from places beyond Christchurch is.necessarily attended with a considerable amount of uncertainty,'the roads, being closed, and telegraphic communication almost entirely stopped. It is nevertheless certain ’that Kaiapoi, as usual, lias comfe in for its full share of the misfortune, and 1 will rib doubt be the greatest sufferer. The morning coaelv from; Christchurch was unable to get beyond.Treleaveris, the road thence almost to Kaiapoi being entirely under water/ But since then several persons have been through from Christchurch, pnd it is beyond doubt that the swing bridge lias been carried away.- The Girder bridge, on. the Rarigiora drain road, is reported to have' been 1 similarly‘-destroyed/ but: no certainty exists on the matter; -White's;bridge, at, Felton’s ferry,‘at BiK'o’clock-last; : evening,-was safe, and ( as thp river was then falling very. no "anxiety, on

this account need be entertained*! itself, the inundation has been and wide spread than ou any previohs Detailed, accounts are not yet .to hand, buHr£Jris&r; instances families had to be removed from their houses in boats, and from this an idea can by formed of the probable damage. On the Rapgiora Drain Road, in the area forming the original swamp, and in the Church Bush, almost the whole of the farms are flooded/and the destruction to crips aloue must be very extensive. The Kaiapoi Island is completely overrun, and the country below. Kaiapoi towards the beach lias also suffered very considerably. Near Fendaltown, where the river Avon forms a sort of basin by being backed up with flax and toi toi, the water rose yesterday morning upwards of four feet in a quarter of an hour. A large quantity of land in the neighbourhood was completely flooded. Mr Barry alone losing between 300 anti 400 sheep, besides a number of cattle. ■At the Selwyn, the new bridge—Mr Doyne’s costly structure—is a complete wreck, and about 200 yards of the embankment on this side of the river has also been washed away. The piling put up since the former flood remains good. The river hear the Coal track is reported to be higher than known for the past fourteen years. Tlie whole bed, between one and two miles wide, is one sheet of water, but there is no news of any overflow.

The risk incurred by Christchurch from the periodical flooding of the greater rivers, has at length been practically brought home to the inhabitants, and the necessity of constructing protective works must now be evident. The oft-repaired embankment, we are informed, is at last completely carried away.

An inquest was held on Wednesday at the Masonic Hotel, llnngiora, before Dr Dudley and a jury, of whom Mr W. H. Percival was foreman, on the body of a girl named Wilkinson, aged tliirrettfc«*flfc«s&nirteen years. The evidence, went to show that'her father was woke up about 1 a.nj. by a rush of water, and found it all round his house. Upon this lie locked the door, and started with Iris wife and children for the Masonic Hotel, distant one mile; they had proceeded about half the distance when his wife and children got confused, and olnng round the man, shortly after which he lost his footing, and knew no more (ill lie found himself on a. hillock in a field within three or four chains of the Masonic Hotel, where lie had been carried, insensible, ■by the water. He came to himself at daylight, when he cooeyed, and was answered by Mr Steggall, the miller, who told him he could not render him any asssistance till the water had subsided sufficiently, which it- did about seven o’clook. When lie cooeyed he fancied he heard a faint answer, which proved to be his wife, who was found a short time after in a very weak state. Ou leaving the house tlie water was breast high, and Iris daughter was washed off her feet, but he recovered her for that time. The body was j found by the police and a searching party of volunteers in Mr Justice Grcssoris paddock, surrounded by posts, rails, and other rubbish. In accordance with the evidence, tlie jury attached a rider to the verdict- expressing their sympathy with the poor man for the loss he had suffered, and stating that they were satisfied with the exertions he had made to save his children.

, TIMARU.-' - ■

The accounts which reach us of the effect of the floods iu the above district arc. truly lamentable. We regret that space forbids us-attempting to furnish our readers with even an abstract of the reports which appear in our Southern contempora / ries. Several lives have been lost, the number not yet being kriown, It is estimated that about £150,000 worth of damage has been done to property.