HEAVY FLOODD IN WELLINGTON.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1226, 22 March 1880, Page 2

HEAVY FLOODD IN WELLINGTON.

[by telegraph.] Wellington, March 22. The heavy rains have caused serious slips on the Wellington-Featherston railway which will obstruct "traffic for three or four days. In some places were embankments carried away and will take a considerable time to repair. Floods have occurred in the Hutt River but no damage has yet been done. At Palmerston North most disastrous floods occurred between Saturday and mid-day yesterday, doing damage amounting to LIOOO. The flood could not be the result of rain in the ManawatUj as it has not been raining for twelve hours. It is supposed to have been raining upon the ranges for days. The Manawatu River, at Palmerston, rose seven feet in four hours, overflowed its banks and spread over the country. The Maoris at Hokowhitu had taken, to the canoes. The Ghenstone. farm is completely surrounded-, the water being six inches on the verandah. f The inmates, four men and one woman, were imprisoned until five o'clock last evening, when a boat was launched, and they were after some difficulty, rescued, and conveyed to the Fitaherbert side. There was six feet of Water on Gorge.road, the residents being taken out in boats. On the.Foxton road, all the settlers were flooded but. The rails were washed away, and there was five feet of water covering the line (between Jackey Town and Otorua bridge. On Saturday night, a settler named Sharman attempted to escape with his wife and children in a trap. When going along the road, a log struck one of the wheels, and turned the trap ovey. Mrs. S'harman was swept away, and with great difficulty she was sa,vedi but the little .girl, two years old, was drowned.. The body was recovered: this; morning in a side drain. jThe destruction of property is something j immense. The Maoris say that nothing like this flood has occurred for twenty years. The flood has gone down considerably since morning, but it now raining hard, and fears of a reiftswal of the flood are entertained.