FLOOD WARNING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3908, 16 February 1929, Page 3

FLOOD WARNING.

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS TO HAND. 'Situated at Fitzheibert bridge in the Manawatu and also in the Oroua river, a delicate mechanism will soon tell Post Office officials when the river is rising and they will issue warnings to districts affected durng flood periods. This will obviate all the last-minute rush to move stock to higher levels and will also be valuable in the protection of property. At Fitzheibert Bridge a hollow concrete shaft has been erected and inside will be placed a float which actuates a transmitter at every rise in; level of the water. This conveys an impulse to the Telegraph Engineer’s office where there is a receiver and a recorder indicating on a graph the movements of the river, thus preserving a. permanent record of the water level at any hour of any day. In addition to being 'shown on idle graph the exact level of the river is indicated on a clock dial. The equipment is particularly sensitive and has been manufactured in. Lon - don for the present purposes. Two transmitters are being installed, one at the Manawatu River and one at the Oroua River. The transmitter consists of a float with a counter weight and electrical apparatus which transmits positive impulses for rises in level and negative impulses for falls. These will be carried over lines to be run from Fitzheibert Bridge to Palmerston North Post Office where the impulses will pass through a relav which, in turn, will actuate two electro magnets. These set in motion a secondary mechanism.

It is anticipated that the installation will shortly be completed and that the electric indicator will be in operationi in March. Tests are now being carried out and the equipment is stated to be functioning perfectly.