AT KARAMEA

Hokitika Guardian, 10 September 1929, Page 6

AT KARAMEA

BURSTING OF THE DAM. NO LOSS OF LIFE. . By Telegraph—Per Press Association.! WESTPORT, Sept. 9. When the dam in the Little Wan-, ganui River burst, the farms and homesteads in the valley suffered bad- ’ ly, but there was no loss of life. As the result of the earthquake on. June17th. the Little Wanganui River was blocked by great land movements on the slopes of Alt. Anaconda (4000 ft). and Alt. Scarlett (4100 ft). The movements started from a height of 2000 ft. and blocked the river with thousands of tons of rocks and other Jlebris for a •mile in length. Tliis dam occurred immediately above Belltown, about 12 miles from the mouth of the river. The heavy rains during the week-end caused the river to break away during the early hours of Sunday morning, and a great flood swept down the valley. Four homesteads were completely swept away, and others shifted from their foundations. How the settlers escaped to the higher country..is. a miracle, as-they had little or no warning of the approaching catastrophe.. ; ... It has not been possible to ascertain the total loss of stock, but it is feared it will be heavy, and ruinous to the settlers. The farms are cut up badly, and in most cases are completely covered with timber, gravel, and other debris. The settlers in this locality had just been provided with a good metalled road, and were beginning to prosper. It is heart-break-ing for them to see their life’s work gone for nothing. « aoout two miles of road and bridge spanning- the Wanganui River have been totally destroyed. The damage to private property, roads and bridges is lieavv.

Air O. F. Sclmdick, County Engineer, stated that he inspected the blockage shortly after the earthquake, and that' his party spent five days in this locality, hut owing to the difficult nature of the counry and the dangerous movemens on the mountain slopes, it was impossible to proceed very far beyond the actual blockage. He stated the dam was about 400 ft. high and about II miles long. The river was flowing through the bottom of the dam during the inspection. The water in the ponded area rose after heavy rain, hut quicky subsided again. The river in the lower reaches had been flowing normally for the past two months. iur Sclmdick thinks that perhaps heavy falls of snow have been melted by the recent heavy and warm rains, and have caused the water behind the blockage to rise quickly and overflow the dam and sweep through the lowlying country..

SETTLERS’ HEAVY LOSSES

AVESTPORT, .Sept. 9

The following has been received by the Chief Postmaster from the Postmaster at Karamea re the Wangapeka flood: 'The individual losses are:

J. Gilmore, a wliare and two cowsheds gone; loss of stock.yet unknown. G. Leach, house all,right, farm badly cut up and. half of stock gone. He will be unable to carry on. R. Scobie, house and cowshed gone, and about 52 sheep. H. Jenkins, farm cut up; loss of stock unknown.

T. Rex, flood through the house; about 25 head head of stock lost, and farm cut up.

E. Samuels, house shifted fifteen yards;’cowshed and 17 head of stock gone.

Bert Daker, farm cut up; estimated about 50 head oi his stock lost, and an unknown number of sheep. The road and bridges from Jenkins’ to Gilmore’s have been entirely washed away. The farms are covered with trees and debris.

GRANT OE £250 AUTHORISED

WELLINGTON, Sept. 9.

In consequence of an appeal by Mr G. C. Black, M.P., for Motueka, the x rime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, has authorised the immediate sending of £250 to the Karatnea Relief Committee for -the relief required through last night’s flood.