By Electric Telegraph

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 154, 16 February 1872, Page 3

By Electric Telegraph

FEARFUL FLOODS' AT THE WEST

COAST.

GIIEAT D KSTIiUOTION OF PEOPEItTi'.

(From our own Correspondent);!

A portion of the following <appeared as an extra on Monday inorningLhist: "We-stport, 9th February. A disastrous flood hair occurred at Wesiport.

The National Hotel, Stanley's wharf and store have been washed to F< a. y '

The Buller and Urawaiti Hivers have opened new channels.

Fearful floods, have taken place at G r a ymouthj which:; is. considered tin greatest calamity that ever befell the jilace. ' . ,

The protective,works gave way, and the water bjurat in on top, of the town causing peneral destruction. Oyer ; 50 buildings., bridges, one-third entire frontage of the quay, roads* stores, and hotels carried into the sea. The' buildings rolled -over each'other, leaving behind a mass of ruins.

Hundreds of people rendered house-

less. The people were taken from off the roots of the houses iriboats. - , A. boy named William Hall has been drowned. ■' u : It is feared that the township at the l Lit tie*-Grey Junction has disappeared .in the flood. ' .News has been received that the w'.ole township at the Twelve Mile, ex- i cept one has i»o?;e to sea. A man was seen going down the

river on o smg, celling for help, which it was impossible to afford him:= r All t fche, roads and tracks in the Grey Valley nave ibecnfswept away.

> Ail communication" with the- reefs is thus suspended, and tlie large population there is in danger of 1 starvation. '• *£A.TEi£ '■ ' G-reyraouth, Feb. 12.

Accounts of the; damage-done by the floods have been received from the -country districts. At the Brunner coal mines, stock, <fcc., to the extent of £7OO was destroyed. The only buildings standing are the Commercial Hotel and Messrs. Watson and Malloy's store. Florses and dairy cows have beon lost. Mr. J. M. Campbell's store, stocM\, and,liorsea were swept away. Mr M' Kenzie's land and crops were washed awhy;' ■ .""J ,;v '

lii the Grey Vallejv Messrs Ferguson and M'Car.dy's crops and fencing have suffered severely. Two bridges have been destroyed at the Little Grey Junction, and Barmon's store has been carried away. At'the Junction the cr&psare all damaged, and the river has . brokena way the old road, ncating severalfarms. At Terminus, Mr Hardy's store swept away. The whole count ry around Messffe. Doolan and'Deares's farm is flooded. At Moonlight Creek, Mr. Davey's. store and hotel have gone bodily, and his stock and garden have disappeared., The stores of Messrs." 'Middleton, Gath, Aitken, and M 4 Gill, have al so, been destroyed, but the stock has, for the most part, been saved. A:t Reefton an immense landslip took place* above : the township, and the brewery and a number of bouses were swept away. _ '

Most iof the' people of Gi*Symouth passed Thursday night up trees. At Grey mouth over seventy houses and stores have been swep£ away.