FLOOD DAMAGE.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 March 1924, Page 1

FLOOD DAMAGE.

HAWKE’S BAY DAMAGE. 5000 SHEEP LUST. BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. NAPIER, March 12. 'The conditions north of Napier ate i.ot yet definitely ascertainable, but it is expected that the telegraph and telepi one wires will lie available for use l( -night. To the south of Napier all the material damage is confined to a small area. Two unimportant reads are blocked, but the main roads south are all open. The total sheep losses are confined to a mile square, where up to oOflO sheep and 100 head of cattle were lost, the previous estimates being exaggerated. The settlers, on mustering, found the losses wore not -•(> serious a.s was anticipated. All the water has left the roads, which, in some places, are under two f"ot of silt. Tile Ri-sington Bridge, which stood 27 feet above the normal water level, had spans of 90 feet washed away, but ibis only affects inland traffic. GISBORNE, March 13. The storm a: o r lias now passed. 'I clegrnphie communication, which, witli the exception of a small line, was cult off north and south of Gisborne on Tuesday night, has now been restored. There was no great damage repo: led Lorn rain. NAPIER. .March 13. The weather to-day is overcast and wind.- but no rain lias fallen and the flood waters have got away well. The rivers which roxe ij a.s much as 1-1 feet are now down to five or six feet above normal. There still remains a iol of water about the low-lying parts. Al! ilie telegraph lines to Ta.upo have been repaired and one line was got through to Gisborne to-day, and also one In Wairoa. The linesmen hope that the service will be ba.-k to norma! loiiionMW. The officers of tho Defence Depa tleont consider the equipment at the submerged battery camp at Eskdnlc can be recovered.

Trout fishing in tho Hawke’s Bay (listriot will jnobably he out of question for the next fortnight, -but alter that it is thought that the rising will be good. It has been ascertained that fourteen huts at the Public AVorks camp at V’aipuiiga on the Hast Coast railway were carried away by the flood on Tuesday.

The body of Thomas Hill, one of the employees has not vet been recovered. On behalf of the local bodies and settlers. Air Alcllvride. Af.P., has telegin phed to the Afinister of Public Works, requesting hint to pay a visit to the district to discuss the questions arising out of the flood. It is intended to suggest, to Air Coates that the ii mi employed on the Railway works

.'hi arc not aide to resume for some lime, be translencd to the roads to assist in the enormous amount of repair "ork necessary.

The Chinese market gardens at Tarndale itrt’ among those that suffered sevi'H’ly. Extensive gardens are still either under water or covered indies deep with silt. It. is not anticipated Huu there will be any shortage of stippiici as these "ill ho obtainable from Havelock North and Hastings, v.hi h did not suffer from the deluge.

!he crcli.)ids iu the affected area a!s-> suffered soveiely. In Diet the croj-s v ere completely "iped out. I lie position in regard to the damage to the roads cannot he exaggerated. Many thousands of pounds will be teijuired to put them in good order ag; in.

(hie of the mist serious los-es is the destruction ot* a big bridge LSI feet long at Ri—ingtiui. built in three spans, one DO Icet ami two -l-j feet. From the bottom to the summer water level ii measured 27 feel to inches, and will com lour thousand to live thousand to replace. Ii is estimated that it. will lake a. fortnight to dear one slip at the tot) of the Titokuin Hill on the Taupe Ir(.siti. Hundreds of other slip's occuriid. and dozens of small bridges have

disappeared. There a.'e deposits of silt, in some pbu-es as the water recedes, of L". to 19 indies. Tho train services soul 11 arc guile nuiiia! again.