FLOODS IN THE NORTH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 821, 2 April 1910, Page 3

FLOODS IN THE NORTH.

Auckland, April i

The Star’s Paeroa correspondent wired at 11.15 o’clock the following message:—

Heavy rain is still falling, and the water is still rising.

The railway station yards are all flooded.

The express train which arrived from the Thames cannot go on, as the line is washed away. The water on the Karangahake road is about seven feet deep. Several cattle and horses have been drowned, and a number of narrow escapes of residents are reported. The flood is the biggest on record.

Wairoa, April 1

Although it is still raining slightly, the rivers have fallen considerably, especially the Wairoa, where the mouth last night was fully a thousand yards wide. The new Frasertowu bridge stood the severe strain splendidly, the river rising 50 feet. The Scamperdown bridge was badly damaged, and will need repiliug. The stock losses are heavy, especially in young sheep.

Gishornk, April 1

Heavy raiu aud a howling gale continued throughout the night. Country settlers fearng a flood were busy removing stock, to higher ground. Yesterday afternoon the Waipaoa River overflowed its banks at Ormond, Waerengaahika aud Bushmcre, and some portions ot flat country about Makauri were inundated. On the railway there is a washout at Ormond. The evening train was unable to get to town last night. There was 4ft of water in the tunnel at Karaka and a slip has come down on the line at Paikohu. A slip occurred on Kaiti Hill at midnight, twisting round a house occupied by A. Scott, who with his wife, had to make a hurried exit, aud came to town in the drenching rain in their night-clothes. The flood has not reached within the two or three feet level of the 1906 flood, and is not regarded as being very serious, the settlers having had ample lime to place slock on high ground. The weather now seems settled, aud the flood waters are rapidly subsiding,leaving a thick coating of silt in the paddocks aud in the houses that were swamped. Additional damage reported is the wreck of Cooper’s accomodation house at Morerc Springs. It is a large single-storeywooden building leased by Mr Bellerby. The flood water got under it, and part has fallen into the adjacent river, which had encroached on the bank just by the house. The new bridge at Pakarae connecting Gisborne with the coast traffic is very shaky, and numerous slips have occurred on that route.