THE CANTERBURY FLOODS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 53, 20 July 1912, Page 4

THE CANTERBURY FLOODS.

WORST FOR MANY YEARS, Fuller details of last week's floods iit North and South Canterbury are tohand, showing that they were of" a serious nature. The flood in the Fl-axton district (says a Christchurch paper ob Monday last) is the worst experienced, for some years, several hundred acres being under water. The Oust River, heavily flooded, digcharged its water into the main drain, whicli, much swollen by the flow from the tributary drains through the Fernside swamp district, was taxed beyond its capacity, resulting in an overflow near the Skew bridge. The overflow from the Eyre caused ailextensive breach in the Eyreton line near Waverley, which up to Saturday morning had not been repaired sufficiently to permit of the train crossing, the passengers being trollied to the junction with the main line to be picked up by th» passing trains. Later it was found that the damage from the main drain water was worse than an overflow,- the bank having been washed away for a length of a chain and a half. Whilst the drain remains flooded repairs are impossible, and a large volume of water is running through the break on to the inundated land, extending the flooded area. DAMAGE BY FLOOD AND RAIN. The main road, across which the drain water is running, has been badly damaged, and the counry council has closed it to traffic. The line-side road being also unsafe for traffic, the only roadl from Kaiapoi to Rangiora available is by way of Woodend. The land near thebreak in the drain band has been extensively damaged by an enormous quantity of shingle being deposited upon it. The north branch of the Waimakarirf,. which overflowed on Friday, was on Saturday running within its banks, and most of the flood water between the rivar and Kaiapoi had disappeared. At Bennett's the floods on the roads and adja--1 cent lands were the heaviest experienced for a great many years, the waterways being quite inadequate to meet the demands made upon them. Some houses in the neighborhood of the railway station were invaded by the water concentrated in the vicinity through the junction of the roads. The' railway line was threatened with damage for a considerable length, but, although the metals were under water in places, there was no scout,, and traffic was main- ! tained. Rain set in at Cust on Wednesday evening, and continued all day Thursday, and from sunset till daylight it'wae'.a i continual downpour. The total from • Wednesday evening till Friday morning was 4.7 in, and from five p.m. on Thurs- | day till seven a.m. on Friday the fall I was 1.27 in. GERALDINE DOCTOR'S EXPERIENCES. The flood in. -tlie Geraldine district, scoured out the roads badly in places,, and the fact was made painfully evident: to a Geraldine doctor last Friday night.. In response to an urgent summons* from Winchester, the doctor, accompanied by his man, started off in his motor car,- and anxious to lose no time on the road took the most direct route, anticipating that the flood waters would •havesubsided. Before long, however, lie found! that the water was much higher than he had expected. To make the difficulties, of travelling greater there was a fairly dense fog. With careful driving a number of awk-ward-places were successfully negotiated, and Winchester was almost reached when the swirling water looked so ominous that the doctor's man volunteered: to get out of the car and reconnoitre.. He had not taken two steps in front of' the ear when lie disappeared, and on coming to the surface and scrambling out of the water he set off to get horses tohelp them out of their difficulties. Meanwhile the doctor found that thecar had stopped on the very brink of * deep hole which the water had scoured and/that had he gone a few inches further a serious accident must have resulted. Assistance was obtained, and Winchester reached in safety. RAILWAY PASSENGERS DIS- •> COMFITED. The flood# were not without their humorous side. Despite many discomforts experienced, a traveller who ventured out to Methven on Thursday night returned with interesting experiences. The train left Christchurch at about four p.m. on Friday, and everything went well till Rakaia had been passed. Tenmiles up the line from there the trouble commenced. The flood waters on thelipe were up to the floors of the carriages and finally the engine had to stop. The driver, after a quarter of an hour, coaxed Jus engine to do another 100 yds. The locomotive was then brought to a standstill, for, coming down the line was a rushing torrent, and as far as the' evecould reach was one sheet of wates It was pitch dark, and the water'wa* at least 4tt deep. The passengers were therefore not altogether surprised to the surfacemen (wandering about with a lantern) shed his lower garments. l'inally the train managed, at a Bn *+ ' to , crawl to destination. At Methven there was another sheet of water several feet deep, and to reacfc the hotel passengers had to step from the train into a carrier's cart, and beconveyed across. It was the only warto avoid getting wet. 7 J