THE HEAVY RAINS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 87, 1 July 1879, Page 3

THE HEAVY RAINS.

w The almost incessant downpour with -which Jupiter Pluvius had recently favoured his suhjeots in this County, has had the effect of sweUing all the tributary streams, and the Mana.va.tu has accordingly for exceeded its ordinary dimensions. On Saturday and Sunday last, a very large hody of water was rolling down to the sei. At Moutoa, a flood of considerable dimensions look place. The river overflowed its banks, and made a short cut through Messrs Barber's run and on through the Moutoa swamp until it joined the main body of water. Several paddocks were also under water, and a small bridge between Mudgway's and MoGivern's was shifted, whilst large bodies of water gathering at various points in that part of the district stopped the ordinary traffic, and in one or two cases oanoes were used to ferry passengers across the temporary lagoons. On Sunday a Maori whare floated down the river past tbe town, also the carcases of a bullook. a pig, and a Bheep or two, which had evidently been drowned. Considerable excitement wm caused in Foxton yesterday, about 2 o'clook, by a rumour that the punt was adrift. Tn a few minutee, some 50 or 100 persons had gathered on the banks of. the river, and a glance showed that there were eight Maoris, all -with horses, on the punt, which was being oarried rapidly down by the swollen river. Some Maoris on the Foxton bank, who were waiting to receive their returning Mends, and a number who were awaiting an opportunity to cross, filled the air with shouts, whilst those on the punt had evidently lost all presence of mind, from the frantic manner in which they threw their arms about, and rushed around the punt. The ferryman and his assistant did all in their power to make a landing, but were unsuccessful. As the punt, with its heavy freight, glided past the Jane Douglas, a rope was thrown out, and was seized by those on the punt, but owing to the sudden strain, and the fact that the rope was a small one, it gave way, and the punt drifted about 500 yards below the wharf,where it was carried by the current ashoro between the residence of the Eev. M- Duncan, and that of Mr J. W. Liddell. The Maoris got ashore aa best they could, but as they had all taken off tiieir boot* ajid coats to prepare for a swim, they . experienced little trouble or discomfort. The *V*ai|»B of the Maoris on the punt were— Henri Warena, Kenata Ropiha, Tainihana to Awe Awe, Wirihana te Aoote, Kopata, Jack Batua, Taylor Parnell, and Wi Pratene. They had a narrow escape of a good wetting, if not something worse, as with so many horses on the puni, had an accident oc--. curred, the position would have been one of considerable danger. I Mr Bowe states that the wire broke when the punt had started. He says a number of strands were broken, and that he has on several occasions told the County authorities of the necessity of having a new »ope erected. It is probable that the heavy weight on the punt, and the large fresh rolling down, caused an unusual strain, which broke tho wire. Mr Bowe says the County Council has a new vope on hand. He also complains that the straining post on the we*t bank is not in a sufficient depth. After the accident yesterday, it was leaning over considerably.