MOUTOA FLOODED.

Shannon News, 17 May 1929, Page 3

MOUTOA FLOODED.

OVERFLOW OF MANAWATU RIVER. ROAD BLOCKED YESTERDAY BETWEEN SHANNON AND FOXTON. SEVERAL SETTLERS LEAVE THEIR HOMES. An* extensive state of flood exists in the Moutoa district as a result of the rapid rise which took place in Manawatu River on Wednesday, following heavy rains in Hawke's Bay. Telegraph, jand telephone lines between Shannon and Foxton are down and the road communication between those two places was! cut off owing to flood waiter. Hhe other main roads in this district, although wet, were usable, and contrary to the general experience in such emergencies, traffic was able to continue between Levin and Foxton, the mail and passenger cars running as usual. The latest reports are that the river is falling 1 , an 4 this will mean Khe gradual subsidence of the surplus water wjhich Jhap submerged (the low-lying country.

The rapid rise of the Manawatu river Wednesday was responsible for con-* siderable anxiety amongst? farmers in the lower reaches prompt action being taken to remove stock to higher ground. -At 4 p.m. the gauge at the Ngawapurua traffic bridge, near Woodville, showed that the Manawatu had risen to 8 feet above normal and was still rising. From Nbrsewood it was reported that the river was the highest it had been for eigh.t years and rain was still falling. The Pohangina tributary was also bank-high and at the Raumai bridge was running over tho road. • Rabbit Island where the two rivers met, was completely covered at 5 p.m. At the Fitzherberjt bridge at Palmerston North, the new electric gauge at 10 p.m. Wednesday was registering 13ft. 7ins. above normal. Th& rise was rapid daring the day. At 7 a.m. it was 6ft 6in., at noon 9ft' 7in., 5 p.m. 12ft, € p.m. 12ft 6in., 7.30 p.m. 13ft and 9 p.m. 13ft 6in. At 2 a.m. the river had just reached the 14ft mark, having taken five hours to rise six inches. •

The Manawatu commenced to trickle over at the bottom of the Tiakitahuna Road at about 8 p.m. Wednesday, while the Oroua at Rangiotu township was running bank high. Higher up, the Oroua, while carrying a fair amount of water, was not causing tho settlers any anxiety, one farmer describing the fljoofl j|n (that particular river as a fair fresh. It seemed, therefore, that the expected overflow at Rangiotu was due to the backing up of the Manawatu river. Settlers in the Lockwood spent the night patrolling the Oroua banks in case of eventualities, while in the Rangiotu area, jhose with vivid recollections of the November flood of 1924, when the water entered the houses, prepared to move out at a moment's notice.

Advice was received yesterdav morning that the banking near the site pf the old Shannon bridge had given way, and Mr J. A. Smith, the Power Board ; s engineer, left by car to ascertain the condition of the Jow-tension line. Fortunately it had not) suffered damage. Owing to the flooded state of tha road, it was reported that the telephone linesman from Foxton was unable to approach within five miles of Shannon.

At about 10 o'clock on Wednesday night the new bank on the Moutoa side about four chains on t'he northern side cf the old bridge, opposite Mr Tirrell's farm, broke, a raging torrent of water pouring through, which' quickly inundated the country in that vicinity.' Between three and four chains of banking came away, the flow of water being about six feet deep, which carried away a telegraph pole. In Mr Bang's paddock nearby the flow of water, according to an eye witness, was too rough to row a boat in. Three farming families on the Moutoa side —Tirrell's, Spring's and McSaveney's—had to .vacate their homes and remove their stock. The only los.s cf stock reported was a bull belonging io Mr Tiirell, which was grazing in a back paddock. Although the river is not as high an on some other occasions, considerably more water has come over the Moutoa Mr W. S. Carter's cowshed was under water, while settlers in the locality have lost their crops. On the "Shannon, side of the river the bank gave way at Mr Coley 's farm nea.r the month of the Tokomaru strdam, caused by the erosion of the river undermining the bank. The break is about a chain wide and a considerable volume of water poured in, causing Mr Coley to remove his stock and belongings. This morning the water has receded considerably and cars were abl; to get through to Foxton from Shannon.

This morning the Levin-Foxton road is blocked for traffic, there being about four feet of water on the road at Wirokino.

All the land on the Shannon side of the river opposite township and extending to Buckley has been free from water.