A HEAVY FLOOD.

Shannon News, 5 August 1921, Page 3

A HEAVY FLOOD.

SHANNON CUT OFF BY ROAD. BOAT SERVICE IN OPERATION. The lull effects oi the -heavy, ruins oi the past live or six days was ieit in tne lviunawatu basin yesterday, when the marks of the “old mail” hood of October last were reached during Jjhe alternooii. Shannon is brought into close contact with- the watery visitation again, road traffic to both ruimerston and Foxton being cut off to motor traffic. On the Foxton road the flood waters approached to within 301) yards oi the township,'the depth on this road nearer the Manawatu bridge being over,four feet. On the Makerua road the water rose to a height of between two and three feet. From the high country above ‘Shannon the flooded area presented a great spectacle, extending from below-the. town right across the fiat beyond Moutoa, and away past Makerua and Tokomaru and- south to the Wirokino, the course of the Manawatu being lost in the maze of the swirling waters. The farms in the inundated area will again suffer considerable damage to their pastures by the quantities of silt-deposits-that will be . left behind, quite apart from ruined fences and other loss incidental to suck visitations. \ In the Makerua numbers of motorists pushed through oil the flooded road in the hope of getting north, but the depth of water was an effective bar, and they were brought to a standstill. However, the man with the horse and dray was on the ricene, and profiting by the hold-up, was busily engaged *all day in towing cars through from each side. The old quotation about “the ill wind” still holds good. Stock owners on the low-lying country were not caught napping this time, having had sufficient warning of the probability of a-flood and moving their cattle to high country. So far few, if any, losses have occurred. • The mail’ service between Foxton and Shannon has been cut off for some days, and yesterday even the Wirokino route, was blocked, the only way open being by rail via Longburn. A boat service was brought into operation yesterday afternoon, when Mr W. Coley set, out from Shannon in a dinghy for Moutoa with mails aboard for Foxton. ■ A large extent of country was covered” in the Koputaroa district last evening, the creeks and races running bank high. There was a fall in the water level at 5 p.m., however, and it appeared then as if the waters had passed the- peak and the worst was over.’ Luckily, very little damage is ’reported in any part of the district. Trie cut put in at the Tokomaru bridge is acting splendidly, and the bridge is not endangered in any way. Reports from other districts show that the boisterous weather has been general. Last-friight a slip occurred on hie .railway line between Ngaio and Khandall ah and the up Auckland express was not dispatched front Wellington until 12.10 this morning. The force of the gale broke railway telegraph lines at Plimmerton, and the tablet service at that station had to be suspended. This morning the wind took a more southerly direction, and heavy hailstorms were experienced in different parts of the country.