HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 170, 9 July 1908, Page 2

HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODS.

CANTERBURY RAILWAY UNDER WATER. HEAVIEST RAINFALL FOR 40 YKAIiS. TRAIN SER\ ICE SUSPENDED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Tiinarn, Wednesday. The rain is still continuing, and now falling with greater force than ever. The channels in town are unable to carry the water oil' as fast as it flows into lii'.'iu, and last night several residents in low-lying streets had to leave their homes, water coining in over the kitchen Uoors. The same state oi things prevails at Pleasant Point and Teiuuka. During 24 hours ended at I) o'clock this m'Cruing, 4.57 inches fell at Tiuiaru. At Pareora (i.7,5 filches fell during the past two days. ft is believed to 1.0 the heaviest rain here for the pasl 10 years. Jt was heavier near Ik' coast tban iniand. The railway south of T'liuaru is Submerged for miles, with ' wash-outs at every creek. The tram service to the south is entirely suspended. The first express from the n'Orlh came througii saiely, but stopped at Timiiru. i\'o damage ( () (he line has been reported. The roads are also Hooded, and passenger and mail services ab;o interrupted.

A KNOW STORM. FOUR FEIST OK SNOW IN CENTRAL OTAUO. Dunedin, Wednesday. Heavy rain fell throughout the night and to-day is wintry. Reports from Naseby state there is four feel of snow on the ground, and it is still falling. HEAVY WEATHER IN OTAUO. RECORD FLOODS. HEAVY SNOWFALLS. RAILWAY TRAFFIC* SUSPENDED. BRIDGES CARRIED AWAY. Dunodin, Last Night. Heavy rain continued all last night, ami with little interruption to-day. No damage has been done to the citv by the flood, but the low-lying paddocks in the suburbs on the flat are submerged. The Drainage Board's pumping sta. Hon at Musselburgh was kept going all day at high pressure. A washout along the railway line occurred at Shag Point last night, so many wash-outs occurred along the Otago Central line that traffic was suspended at noon. On the Ontrani branch a bridge across Silverstrcani shifted and the river has flooded the line, which is impossible to negotiate owing to the line being snnnicrgod for a distance of Mirce miles. Near Allanton the express trains from the south eoiiid'iiot get Ihrougii. The engine win stabled al Milton, where the passengers were detrained. A goods train was" snowed up al Wcdderlmrn, but managed to reach Rough Ridge. The 8.45 train from Dunedin with great diilieulty reaehert Hyde and remained there overnight. Tlie 11.5,"i train from Dunedin to Otago Central was cancelled. Taieri is badly flooded, and the Taieri river is said to be higher than i'. has ever been since the Hood of 1878. Silverstream is overdo-ing its banks. Some of its bridges are already wrecked, and the neighboring lands sunmerged some feet. There has been no loss of sWck so far. Residents state that there is more water about than has been seen for 50 years. At Berwick the river rose six feet between 10 p.m. on Tuesday and 0 a.m. on Wednesday. All the rivers" arc rising rapidly. The Railway Department reporCho accidents to life or foiling stock. _ Advices from Naseby state that there is four feet of snow there, and t?iat snow is falling this afternoon. Snow is 18 inches deep at Arrow-lon-n. and 20 inches at St. JJathan's Alexandra ami Cromwell. ,Suow lias given way to rain which Jias been falling heavily all day. If warm rain follows the snow there is every probability ot a big flood. At Waipiata the river is in very lii"h Hood and is slill rising. At Tapanui (he rainfall is a record for 10 years, 3'/, inches falling in a lew hours. At Lawrence and Waipori the rainfall has been very heavy. Another break' ,'„ tlie Waipori Jluiu">S took- place this afternoon, cutting oil Ihe electric power. It is uXH expeeled to be repaired till Monday. The trams were delayed lor nearly an hour, but are now running on the steam' plant.

LATEST ADVICES. PLAGES UNDER WATER. DAMAGED STOCK. RIVERS STILE RISING. Duncdin, Later. Latest, advices stale that the trains that left Clyde and Omakau this morning were snowed „p f aat Jlcai . Woildcrhuni. To-night at 9.30 p.m. the water was eight inches deep on the floor of the Ailantown railway station. Landslips has occurred on the upper ana lower Port Chalmers line close to the tunnels, but the last train irom mo'""" got " S !ni ' " S " Pl ' Cr Port Crmlllorses and cattle are standing knee deep m the water at East Taieri A serious loss i n cattle and 'horses Stand" 1 " 1 SUStaiMll by Ut - W'lluim Several poles in the new Waipiro elMnc polo line have bee,, washed out. Iheiuirci liver i 3 still rising, and tlnstructs in Waipiala arc under water

AT OAMAIiU. Oamaru, Wednesday our and a-half indies of rain 'has alien during the past 24 hours-the heaviest rainfall for many years. The Oamaru Creek over/lowed its banks and did some damage. A wash-out 70 yards wide was made on the railway ' Jine "W Kuliold. This is provoutiiU the trams from getting through The "rails could not be taken l.c'ross l,v horse owing t„ the volume of water. Most „t (he township is „„,ler water The Hood is the worst yet known here'. J he creek ro.-e eight feet in from three to four hours.

TKE.M.LW'JjOUS KAIXFALL. TitAiN seuvk'rs btscom'ixuitj). Oaniaru, Last Night. Jlio ram has partially ceased,' and tiio evening {rain got through i'roini iJiiiieilin U|) f.p time. Seven inches ol ram leirten miles inland from Oaniaru '» -'4 hours. All (he tram services in land and north are discontinued. A representative of the i\orth Ota»o linn's who traversed Hiroii"]. from t'alniersloii Sontll says tTie Nimg \'alley is " st 'a of water, and if the rain docs'noi ecase there, some of tlie. settlers wH • IVI ' '» ''i l removed in boats. On Ihe Kakanui ||ie Hat is covered with water !""'. Mark's I has four l'-.'ot Of wilei' Wit. No communication has been ).- fi'ivi'd as to the extent of the snowfall 111 ""■' I'lii'k country, but it is „„i Ml „. P'Kecl to liave l„.cn ex ( vssivel v |,cav/ .mail yj.;i{\-jcM i.\T|.;i;nui'Tt:ii'. Wellington, Wcdnesdnv. J-lie Chief Postmaster at Chrislehmvl. reports that ,')S mile'.; of railwav is under wafer between (il-'iiavv -uel Nor manby. There are cigln",,,' (~,/ pp, waslics-out, ami all Irains have I n '•aiK-e1h.,1 south of Timaru. , Tl "' «»"l-lU'i'il mails will he sonl on l>.v the .Mouowai.

TMLKtIUAI'II I.IMKs l)i)\\N'. ClirLlrliurch, Last Niehl. -\ Tl«-»- an a I si eonli , H ii mvu . I'-''"' fin' (he greater part ~f | W o ,|,ivs, I'"' rain ceased Icnipnrarilv earlv hist '•veiling, and hopes were entertained "'■' l. II"' city was to onp-Y „ sp,.|| „f dry weather, however brief. There were a few slight showers during ||„. „;,>lit and in the early morning (he sky clear'•'l, Iml rain began lo fall again nl 1 ' ]>.ni. anil continued intermit lonllv lliroiightiut Ih,. day. The rainfall recorded at the Observatory for (.lie "4 hours ending at LfM a.n'i. |.o-,l iU . was l.finr inches. Owing lo Hoods on the railway line liefween Timaru afid Clietiavv, no'mails will reach Ohrittclinrrli to-'day troin olfiees south of Timaru. Direct telegraph comumuieation with I

the North Island is still seriously in. terrupted, and it may be sonic da is iicforo the wires arc restoreu. Tuere is a break between Wiiiau ami Kuikoura, and it is reported that a length of about seven miles of iine is all'oelod. Mr Shriinpton, eliief electrician, with a repair gang, left this morning for \\ T;iiau, but it 's doubUul whether they woidd reach the scene of tile interrup lion before nightfall. In the mem;. time all messages for the Xorth Islam! are being sent over the two wires to Greymoutb, and thence via Blenheim to Wellington. One wire is being warned duplex and the other triplex, which allows five machines to lie used. Tile stall' are doing their utmost l 0 U"ecp pac-e witlii the demands with the Jinn ed facilities at I heir disposal, GLOOMY PROSPECTS. TORRENTIAL RAIN FALLING. Ohristciiiirch, Last Night. Rain is again falling in torrents tonight, and there is every prospect o; further Hoods, IN MANAWATL*. l'almerslon N\, Wednesday. The Hood in the Manawatu river subsided greatly during the night, but with the heavy rain now falling then is likely to lie a further rise in" a few hours. Details of the damage done are not known al present, but tiic fact thai drowned tattle were seen in the river yesterday indicate that someone has sull'ercd. Veslerday about fourteen feet of the massive groyne recently erected by the PaJmersloii Borough Council was' carried bodily away. All rfic groynes are submerged, and till the river gets back to its normal height it will be impossible to appreciate the effect 01 Ulc protective works.