HEAVY FLOODS.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 November 1924, Page 1

HEAVY FLOODS.

AIUCH ' DAMAGE DONE

[BY TELF.fIItAPn —MR TRESS ASSOCIATION.]

BALAIERSTON N., November 1. The Alaiiawatu River was to-day in heavy flood, the guage at Fitzlierhert Bridge showing eleven feet above normal. . , The Lost-master at Asliurst advised that the river there bad risen twelve feet. Advices from Kumera disclosed that the river was higher than for many years. Alangaliao reports that the Alangaliao Liver is higher than ever before. Local cricket games had to be postponed. SERIOUS EROSION MENACE.

BALAIERSTON N., November 2

Owing to heavy rains at Southern Hawke’s Bay and locally, the Alanawatu River rose 15 feet above normal, the water reaching within onu foot of the banks, and, in one place south of Buhners ton North, actually overflowing on Saturday night, eroding live acres of ploughed, land. This erosion is constituting a new problem, on account of the river having scoured a. new channel opposite to the lowest part of the town. It is expected that the greater part of the river will How through this, and it may eventually become a danger to this district, which includes the golf links, unless tlie river hoard’s programme, now in progress, is carried through soon.

The river is subsiding this afternoon, hut ,the Hoods will certainly affect the Shannon and Alakerua ilaxmilling areas, causing a cessation of milling.

CLOUDBURST ON IUAIUTAKAS. "WELLINGTON, November 2. A later message regarding the floods states heavy slips have been caused on the summit of the Rimutakas, and at Cross Creek. The lino is clear on the Wellington side of the summit. Through traflie ceased on Friday night, and no trains have been through yet. It is unlikely that the line will lie dear lor trafliu to-morrow. It cannot yet he ascertained if it will he possible to tranship passengers across the slips. The rain was exceedingly heavy, causing several washouts and slips. The ollicials think that there must have been a cloud burst.

Railway gangs are at work. These will be supplemented to-morrow. At 5 o’clock to-night, it was reported that the rain had cleared otf, and no further slips are probable. There have been slips for over 100 yards oil the Kimutaka HilL between ivaitoki and the summit, and the road is impassable to motor tralfic. It is likely to remain dosed for three days while being cleared.

AIASTERTON, November 1. Heavy rain is causing Hoods in this district. Much of the low lying country is under water, and some of the roads are blocked with slips. MASTKHTON, November 2. A heavy rainfall and an extensive Hooding of rivers have been experienced in the Wairarapa since Thursday. Rail and road communication with Wellington arc belli blocked by slips. The Hoods have accounted for considerable. losses of sheep, wliieli iust reeently bad been shorn. Neully-sown crops are also allectod. The rivers arc now subsiding, and there are prospects of the weather breaking. .Six inches of rain have fallen generally since Thursday.

The AVaingawa River, from which the Mastertou water supply is drawn, has altered it.s course, ail'd the pipeline is in danger of complete isolation. Tt is understood the damage is collsiderahle in South AA'airarapa.

MARLBOROUGH FLOODS.

IILKNIIKIM, November 2

There was an extraordinary rainfall all over Marlborough from Thursday afternoon, until yesterday alternoon, the gauge registering ns much as 1(1.1)0 inches in Piclon and 10. d inches in l'Taxbourno. The fall in and around llleiilieim was lietwecn three or four inches. All the rivers and streams were in heavy flood, and there was an anxious time in llleuheim, on account of the swollen state of the Taylor River, hut the protective works stood well, and no damage was done in the town, though the flooding of a ditch in the vicinity of the hank section inundated several sections.

'l'he Hooding of Fairliall stream and Doctor’s Creek caused a number of farms in that locality to he inundated and some small areas of crops were damaged.

The overflow of Para Swamp and the Tuamarina Creek, about eight miles from llleuheim, on the road to Pioton, caused a number of settlers on low land round the Taumarina to he deeply flooded, their houses being invaded by water. Some of them wore rescued in boats. Small areas of crops in this locality were also affected. There were a number of landslides at Piclon, hut no damage of a serious nature was done.

There were also numerous landslides round Port Fndcrwood, hut without serious effect.

Though there have l>een some losses of small areas of crops round Fairhall and Taumarina, and though it is reported that some of the individual losses of newly-shorn sheep on account of cold will he heavy, the rain generally .is welcome, and will have a beneficial effect on the district.

A NARROW ESCAPE. BLENHEIM, November 2

Tn consequence of the floods, a train which left Blenheim last evening for AA’ard narrowly escaped an awful disaster. One of the piers of the bridge over Seventeen Crook, about four miles south of Blenheim, had been undermined 'by the swift current in the stream, and, after the train crossed the bridge, the structure buckled, the train being thrown off the line. The engine plunged down a hank nine feet high, and now lies at right angles to the track. A passenger carriage was derailed, and a second carriage partly derailed. There were only four passengers in the train, all in the carriage which ""'as partly derailed, and all eseped unscathed, as did the crew of the train. It was fortunate that the train had actually negotiated the bridge, and reached the solid permanent way Irefore it was derailed, or it would have plunged into the creek, fourteen feet lrelow.