THE LATE FLOODS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4226, 6 October 1874, Page 3

THE LATE FLOODS.

We take from contemporaries the following notes of the late storms and their effects : TAURANGA. The steamer Pretty Jane has not (Oct. 1) arrived from Gisborne, being ten days out. It has been blowing very heavily, and she was unable to make way. Owing to her cargo being sheep, she lost 250. The passengers for some days have been living on mutton only, being out of all other provisions. The Pretty Jane is in a dilemma for want of coals. The Southern Cross reports the weather along the coast as fearful. Her sails have been blown away, owing to the fierceness of the gale, and she is unable to get inside. The Ohiwa bumped heavily on the bar-head, but fortunately swung round, and returned • back to Tauranga ; both steamers remain in port until the weather moderates. CREYMOUTH. "Yesterday," says the Star of the 28th September, " was a day of specially disagreeable surprises and general unpleasantness owing to the weather, which may be described as abominable. Although it rained incessantly and heavily the whole of Saturday night, no apprehensions of an inundation were entertained at the time for attending Morning service. But during church-time the river rose with surprising rapidity, and in the back streets, by measurement, the water rose 2ft. 6in. in threequarters of an hour, and by noonday the lower portion of the town was submerged, the flood level being about Ift. 4in. lower than that attained on Easter Sunday. In consequence the congregations of the various churches found at the conclusion of the service that they were in a rather perplexing predicament, those attending the Catholic Church being in the most annoying situation, that building being surrounded by water to the depth of two feet. The men took to the water kindly, and boldly splashed their way to the high ground, while the ladies and children awaited the arrival of the conveyances promised by their friends. These were not slow in arriving, the expressmen being " all about" in a few minutes, and carts, cars, and coaches soon conveyed every one to their respective homes. It was a curious sight to see loaded coaches splashing up Gresson Street, while at the same_ time boating parties from the English and Scotch churches were being rowed home to houses in the flooded portion of the town. The borough officers were busily engaged during the day preparing for the apprehended night's flood, but owing to the greater part of the fresh escaping during low water, last night's tide was not so high as was anticipated. The most unfortunate event of the day was the stranding of the Waipara. Beyond this, the damage daue has principally been confined to the gardens in the low-lying portions of the town. Several of those, especially that of Mr. Hardy, the secretary of the Horticultural Society, have been seriously injured. The temporary stone works, carried out by the Borough Council, answered their purpose admirably, and effectually prevented any river encroachments about the lower end of Gresson Street—a locality in which former floods have usually been most damaging. Cobden has seemingly been less fortunate, for the bank has washed away to the rear of the main street; the out- ; buildings of some of the principal residences I are washed away, and the houses themselves seem to be in great danger. Coal Creek Plat was under water, but we have no accounts of any damage having been done in that locality, nor to the railway works on this side of the Grey. AT. NEW PLYMOUTH. On Wednesday morning the storm was something terrific. The roadstead, as far as tho eye could reach, appeared a series of breakers, which kept surging one after the other on to the beach, throwing ashore a large number of fish, of which the "John Dory" was the most plentiful. At the Sugar Loaves tho sight was truly grand. The sea as it rolled in, in heavy volumes, struck the islands, and, from the force, threw up a spray that shrouded them for some seconds in mist. Wednesday's tides were very much higher than usual, and a large portion of the reclaimed ground was washed away; whilst the owners of property on the banks of the Huatoki, between the bridge and the beach, had their out-buildings washed away, the water in some instances being nearly up to the back doors of their houses. On Thursday the glass begin to rise and the weather moderated. On Tuesday, during tho storm, a whirlwind passed over Bell

Block, doing considerable damage on its way. When drifting across Mr. Connett's farm, it caught the verandah, tearing it from the house and knocking down two iron chimnies. It also tore up some fencing, and levelled a portion of a bank and ditch fence which was in course of being made. Passing from Mr. Connett's land the whirlwind drifted inland. WANGANCI. Those who predicted on Monday that we had not seen the height of the flood made no mistake in the assertion, for towards evening the river rose, bringing down most extraordinary quantities of drift-wood. About 11 o'clock the flood appeared to have reached its height, remaining at that point for about an hour and a-half, after which it slowly sunk. While at its highest point the water ran over part of Taylor and Watt's wharf, depositing a lot of drift-wood on it. Bett's wharf, opposite the Market Square, was completely under water, but being short, square-built, and besides not projecting into the heaviest current, it withstood the strain without any material damage being done to it. Less fortunate, however, was the Corporation wharf, the centre of which has sunk considerably. It was struck by a large log, but whether this broke the piles, or whether the ground has been washed from under them, it is at present impossible to ascertain. So much, however, is certain that the wharf will have to undergo some very considerable repairs to put it into a satisfactory state. During the height of the fresh, it was swaying about considerably, showing that all the piles were more or less shaken. All the steamers kept up steam the whole night in order to be prepared for any mishap. A little before 11 o'clock on Tuesday morning, the St. Kilda moved away from Jackson's wharf, as it was feared the strain was too much for it to bear. Previous to anchoring, she assisted the ketch Thames to a better anchorage, and then steamed slowly to nearly opposite the Commercial wharf, where she dropped anchor. It was soon ascertained that one anchor was not sufficient to hold her, and another had to be dropped.