FIRE AND FLOOD. Damage by Conflagration and Inundation.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 87, 31 January 1885, Page 6

FIRE AND FLOOD. Damage by Conflagration and Inundation.

Gisborne January 2S. A dkstiiuctive fire occurred at Onnond's Mill, an inland town, yesterday morning, by which the Chandos Hotel, two other houses, and a number of outbuildings were destroyed. The lire was first scon in a loan-to attached to Bcdgood's £ 'stables, which soon caught, and the fire then took the cottage of J. Gillaco, from as inch it spread to the hotol and Whelan's bootmaker s shop. Several inmates of the hotel had a narrow escape. Wallace, storekeeper, lost £200 worth of grass seed, which was insured. Woodhead lost .€lOO worth of goods stored in Wallace's buildings, and was uninsured. The insurances are :— Victoria, £525 ; Union, C 4.00 ; South British, £560 j and Northern, £100.

lloiviTiKA, January 28. ' The incessant downpour of rain yesterday and the previous night caused the heaviest flood in the river experienced for many years. No damage is reported as yet from the country districts, excepting that the approaches to tho Arahurua Bridge have been washed away. All road traiiic is suspended.

Gkeymouth, January 2S. Ifc has boon raining continuously since Monday, and every creek and rivulet in fclio district is ilooded. TJio river is in high flood, with every prospect of getting higher still. Telegrams from travellers from tho inland centres report all the creeks higher than they hax'o been for two years. A later telegram says : — "The rain has stopped, but tho flood is going down j the river in the lai'gest volume of I water seen for a number of years. All the lower part of tho town is covered, and many houses are flooded A j good many of the temporary piles and the staging of the Cobden Bridge, in course of erection, have carried away, including some top stringers. All tho timber- work has been lost. Two sets of iron cylinders have disappeared, and some loose timber for the bridge. The accident was caused by snags and masses of other timber brought doAvn by the flood bearing against the temporary piles. Several small bridges in the neighbourhood are reported carried away." Later. One effect of yesterday's flood was to sweep away the wreck of the Star of the South, which encroached seriously upon the fair way of the entrance to the river. At 12 last night it disappeared, breaking rope and several hempen hawsers. According to all appearances, she has been swept out to sea clear of the channel, as there was a large volume of water going down. The Cobden Bridge looks a sad wreck now. Two of the cylinders on the Cobden side disappeared, and the greater portion of the temporary woodwork vanished with j the roadway on top. Tho value of the 2 cylinders alone is £1,600, and the total loss is said to be £3,000. The Star oi the South has been carried clear of the channel, and lies at tho tip head,' in such a position as to be part of the breakwater. The flood is aba bin g.