HEAVY RAINS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 69, 29 March 1913, Page 5

HEAVY RAINS.

FLOODS IN THE SOUTH.

MUCH DAMAGE AND DISLOCATION OF TRAFFIC.

(Per Press Association.) Gore, March 28

The Ensign’s Lumsdeh correspondent wired at 3 p.m.:—The river is still rising and is now flowing through the lower part of the town. There is no sign of the rain abating. Several horsemen who managed to get through from Mossburn report tnat there are several washouts on the Mossburn line.

Great losses of stock are likely in the low-lying country. Already sheep are coming down the river. A number of residences have been partly submerged, the ocupants flitting to drier ground. Telegraphic communication with Te Anau is suspended, the wires being down. The Waikaka train, leaving Gore at 3.50, had to return, it being impossible to get past Maitland, owing to the floods. It is still raining, and the Mataura river is rising. A CASE OF DROWNING. Invercargill, March 28. Heavy rain commenced falling on Thursday and continued without intermission since. It has resulted ir severe floods all over Southland. A young man named J. Walsh, whc was driving with two brothers, named Dickson, at Hokonui, near Winton, Avas drowned through their trap falling into the Otapiri river. The brothers managed to, reach a small island, where they were marooned for some hours. The railway services are disorganised. The express train from Dunedin to-night could not get throng! owing to a wash-out at Pukerau, and the train stopped at Clinton.

Some washouts of a serious nature occurred on the Otautau, Lumsden, Kingston, and Mossburn lines. Heavy losses of stock are feared and reports show that dead sheep are being washed down by the rivers in hundreds.

10 INCHES IN 22 HOURS

Timaru, March 28

The Mount Cook Hermitage reports, a bigger flood than occurred in .January. Ten inches have fallen in 22 hours, and, the gauge then, was submerged. The hostel, was invaded bj water, and the tourists are preparing to take to tents on higher ground. One car bridge has gone and the road is impassible generally. -The floods come f rom the Mueller glacier through a gap in the;old side of the. moraine, and this time chunks of ice are com ing away with the boulders. Steady rain has fallen in Timaru since '3 p.m. Fairlie and the Mackenzi ecountry report heavy and steady rain.

DUNEDIN IN DARKNESS

Dunedin, March 29,

Yesterday’s storm carried away the Waipori fluming, which means that the city lighting will be extinguished tonight, as the reserve plant is needed for providing power for the electrc tram system, FLOODS IN CANTERBURY. * ' RANGTTATA BRIDGE UNSAFE. Ashburton, March 29. On the arrival of the first express from Christchurch the passengers were greeted with the announcement; “Rangitata bridge unsafe; all passeng ers for soutJi of Rangitata? will bo conveyed by trolley over the river.”

The train waited half an hour here, and then proceeded south. 'The stationmaster says he has no definite knowledge of the position, but news from other sources tends to show that heavy wind and rain in the back country yesterday caused the river to rise very quickly, with the result that there was a heavy Hood last night, and the approaches to the railway bridge at both ends were so seriously damaged as to make extreme caution on the part of the authorities necessary. THE STORM IN WELLINGTON. Wellington, March 29. Heavy gales raged last night. Wind blew with terrific force, and was accompanied by blinding showers of rain. Fences were blown down, as well as some small buildings, and windown were smashed. The wind subsided this morning, but rain still threatens. ,