HEAVY GALE AND FLOODS AT OTAGO

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 123, 27 June 1868, Page 4

HEAVY GALE AND FLOODS AT OTAGO

The heavy rain of Friday has resulted in a flood, which, in some parts of the province at least, has been more severe than that which occurred four or five months ago. That flood was, fortunately, confined to a narrow strip of country from the seaboard ; but the present one, it is to be feared, has extended over nearly the whole province. The Cintha, which was scarcely at all affected on the former occasion, has now been greatly flooded. The gale accompanying the flood has been scarcely less severe than its predecessor, and it has caused a terrific sea on the coast. So far as we have yet heard, the gale has been less productive of wrecks on the coast ; but there has been one wreck —that of the brigantine Dispatch, Timaru being the place of disaster. The Dispatch was commanded by Captain Driver; and it is with very sincere regret that we have to record the death of that gentleman. So far as our present scanty information goes, Captain Driver was killed before the wreck occurred ; his death having been caused by the galley, through the rolling of the vessel, having been thrown over upon him.

Our Port Chalmers correspondent writes;—“ By telegrams received by Messrs. Turnbull and Co., from Timaru, and that Captain Driver had been killed by the galley falling on him,” The Dispatch left Port Chalmers on the 2nd ult. for the Chatham Islands, where she loaded a cargo of cattle, and was returning to this port; but from information received, it would appear that she had rather a lengthy return trip, as, on Friday, Captain Driver telegraphed that he had put in at Timaru, short of feed for the cattle, &c. He at the same time stated that five head had been lost, the remainder of the cattle being in first-rate condition. On Saturday morning the sad intelligence of the vessel’s loss and her captain's death was received, and it cast a gloom over the shipping community. Captain Driver, although an American, was looked on as belonging to Dunedin, and he was well known in connection with several vessels sailing out of this port. Chptain Driver leaves a widow to mourn his loss. He was a brother of Mr. Henry Driver, of this city.

The Dispatch was a well-known trader on the West Coast in the early days of the gold discoveries there, and under the command of Captain Keenan, she made some remarkably good passages—in one instance accomplishing the voyage from Dunedin to Hokitika and back lo this port in fourteen days. For some time past, she has been employed in running cattle from the Chatham Islands to Lyttelton ; and she was on her second voyage from the Chathams to this port when the wreck occurred.

The paddle steamer Comorang, as to the safety of which some anxiety was felt, has reached port, without suffering any disaster. The N.Z. Company’s screw steamer Wellington, from the North, arrived on Saturday morning. There was so heavy a sea on the bar that the steamer was almost overpowered with one greatwave which broke on board ; but she got through with the loss of a boat and some damage to her bulwarks. Previously, whilst site was standing off and on, the man at the wheel was flung down ; and ho had one of his legs much injured, if not broken, by a blow from one of the spokes of the wheel

The flood has again caused serious damage to the main road North and South of Dunedin. On each side there have been heavy landslips, culverts have been burst, and bridges have been damaged A correspondent writing to Wellington, says : —“ The rain has set in here heavier than ever* Main-street is flooded. The Bank of New Zealand is two feet under wate, Russell’s store and Beswick’s bonded store are two feet under water. A large quantity of grain has been destroyed. Gangs of men are employed cutting trenches to carry off the water. The Taieri began to rise rapidly about 7 o’clock on Friday morning, and at the West Taieri the water rose above the level of the preceding flood, which was the highest then on record. Along the main north road, however, the flooding has not been so great as it was on the previous occasion ; so that the Plain has probably suffered less. There has been nothing like the eight or nine miles of water which stretched along the road line a few months ago. The road has, however, been much flooded, and is in a dreadfully-cut-up state for several miles on this side of the East Taieri Bridge ; an important culvert has been blown up, in the Waihola Gorge neighbourhood ; and neap Tokomairiro a small bridge and some culverts have disappeared, and left chasms which, on Saturday, were not passable by vehicles The Tuapeka district has suffered greatly. Some particulars as to the state of Lawrence will be found amongst our telegraphic intelligence. The escort from Switzers had not reached Tuapeka up to yesterday afternoon, and it is not likely that it will reach in time to be brought on to Duuedin by Tuesday. A report from West Taieri, written on Saturday, gives the following particulars;—When the river began to rise on Friday morning, Mr. Campbell, who is in charge of the repairs of the bridge, got his men together, and though with great difficulty succeeded in securing much of the timber,: &c., which is required for the work. The whole party had constantly to work up to their armpits in water. The river continued to rise so rapidly that most of the residents in the village sought safety on high ground. About seven o’clock in the evening, Mounted Constable Carter went towards Mr. Richardson’s flour-mill on the Whare' Creek, to ascertain it the people there were in danger. Finding that they were greatly so, Carter returned to the West Taieri Hotel and called for volunteers, in an attempt to save Mr. Richardson and his family. The Outram Hotel, to which many went for safety during the last flood, was considered to be in danger when the report was written early on Saturday morning. The river was then still rising, and Mr. Tynan and his wife had been compelled to leave the hotel. On Friday evening a number of persons had gathered for safety on the premises of Mr. Robinson, storekeeper ; but it was found that they could not continue to remain there, and they made their way to the Buckeye Hotel. All the settlers who could manage to do so, loesed their cattle and horses, and drove them on to the hills. —Otago Daily Times, June 15.