DAMAGE BY FLOOD AT WELLINGTON.

Patea Mail, 31 July 1882, Page 3

DAMAGE BY FLOOD AT WELLINGTON.

A heavy downpour of rain commenced on Thursday afternoon and continued without diminishing throughout the night. On Frida}' the low-lying portions of the city were flooded,by the terrific downrush of water. The Te Aro end of the city suffered most , and in several places streets were torn up through the bursting of culverts, Kilbimic and Newtown also suffered. In some,instances houses were flooded to a depth of three feet. : The approach on the Wellington side of the Ngahauranga Bridge was carried away, and the traffic was suspended for the greater part of the day. A heavy landslip has taken place on the railway about four miles beyond Kaitpke, completely blocking the Tine. The s Wairarapa trains this morning were unable to get through, but had to tranship their passengers, mails, &c. After this exchange had been effected the trains reversed their respective courses, the inward, train returning to the Wairarapa and the outward train coming l back to town, where it arrived about three-quarters of an hour late. A strong force of men are at work clearing away the fallen earth arid rocks, and it is expected, that the line will be got clear to-night. The volume of water which poured down the Karori gully soon filled the main reservoir, and this morning it oversowed its embankment. Serious consequences were anticipated, but during the day the flow subsided, and examination showed that the reservoir had sustained but little damage.

‘The whole water of the harbour is of a bright yellow colour, owing to the tremendous influx of storm water. The rainfall between 5 o’clock on Thursday evening and 9.30 on Friday morning

(nearly th^ee,lnches) is f the-beavicst fall recorded in the same number of hours since 1864 with one exception, namely, during the, night of the sth March, 1871, wlien : 3'6siiriciieß fell and caused heavy floods.