THE LATE FLOOD.

Te Aroha News, Volume 64, Issue II, 23 August 1884, Page 2

THE LATE FLOOD.

Thk rain, which set in on Thursday nigi it last week, continued until the evening of Sunday, having fallen heavily ami almost incessantly during the three days. It was general throughout the district, and the flood which it caused was the heaviest that has been seen hero. Creeks which at ordinary times may be stepped across became raging torrents, ami the river rose to an unprecedented height. Tiie oldest European settlers say it was higher by twelve or eighteen inches than it has ever before been known to be. The flood was at its height on Sunday morning, whea the whole of the low-lying lands on the river banks, as far as could l>e seen, were submerged, the water in many places being more than a quarter of a mile in width, and the ordinary channel quite indistinguishable. At the railway bridge the current was fully twelve chains in width, the whole of the swamp on the west side b»»in«f covered with running water to a depth of four or live feet. It is hard to tell now high the flood would have risen on the upper side of the bridge if the embankment ac ops this swamp had been previously formed, but it is certain that the waters would have been backed up many feet above the level they reached on Sunday, and that the whole of the lower part of the town would have been in danger. After this experience it is open to question whether the said embankment should be constructed at all, and whether piles woul I not be better than earthwork as affording a more ample outlet in th<' case of such heavy Hoods. At any rate if the embankment is gone on with precautions should betaken to guard against disaster, by leaving a sufficient number of openings to prevent any accumulation of water above the bridge. Although the river was unprecedentedly high, comparatively little damage wa9 done by the flood. On the HilJ, however, much injury was caused by the heavy rains, and the tramway suffered severely. Several landslips occurred, the largest being near the Inverness and Phoenix claims where a portion of the line was carried away and has for a time, put a stop to all traffic. Many trees were blown, down and we have heard of several narrow escapes from the fallowing timber. Mr 11. lioid, contractor for the railway bridge, hail some valuable piecs of timber carried away ; Mr Lavery also lost some timber. The damage done on the flat, ho.vever, was but trifling considering t!io tremendous flood that was rnging. T..e coach has no), come juto.ss for the post. \v>>el< owin«r to the flooded state of tie river, the units only being brought over.