EAST COAST FLOODS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 June 1917, Page 4

EAST COAST FLOODS.

WORSE FLOOD THAN EVEft,

GISI3ORNK WITIIOUT WATER SUPPLY.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. CUsborne, Last Night. A fair area of flats betwoen W&erenga. hika and Makuri were flooded last night, but little damage was done, A new flood to-night, however, is worse than ever.

Gisborne is entirely without a water supply, and the borough authorities advise residents they must not use the sewerage system unless they can flush with tank water. Many people are entirely without any supplies, and some business houses are badly affected as they cinnot use their gas engines, There is a great demand for tanks. It will jrobably be a fortnight before the service is restored,

The Arahura, which left Napier at 11.30 p.m. on Monday for Gishorne, hat not yet arrived, but she is believed to be in the bay, which is obscured by squalls. Something, which may liav# been the steamer, was sighted moment' arilv this afternoon.

RAIN HOLDS UH THOUSANDS OF SHEEP DROWNED. THREE MEN MISSING. Napier, Last Night. Rain has almost ceased, though it It still threatening. To-morrow the rai!waymen will attempt to sandbag tho permanent way between Napier and Hastings. If couditiois are suitable trains may run on Friday. A change of wind has had the effect of lowering the floods considerably, but the water is still high. A southern mail was received from Hastings to-day per mbtor lorry and boat. The rainfall since Sunday is 10.3 inches. News from the country districts is still very difficult to get. In some parts stock losses were light, where warning was given, but in others many thousands of sheep have been drowned, It will be days before details are available.

Altogether, over 1(10 persons were res. cued bv boats within a radius of 15 miles from Napier. Sonic of the ships and boats are still engaged in the work. There are rumors of casualties, but hothhas been reported to the police yet. Three farm workers iu the Chesterhor# district have not been traced.

RIVSRS FALLING.

■«.« , . . Haatin #», June 13. Although it is still raining intermit" iently there was a decided improvement this morning in the flood outlook. The wind veered more to the south, and colder weather prevails. The total r*infall since Sunday night (50 hours) was 0.94 inches. The rainfall in tha bis 1897 flood was 8.94 inches.

The Hastinga-Napier Train service is si ill suspended and road traffic blocked , Permanent way between 'Hastings and Napier is scoured out in several places, but the bridges are not damageu. The post office ingeniously got tha mail through to Napier this morning partly by road and partly by trolley on the railway. This is the first mail connection between the two towns sinco early on Monday. The express for Wellington left this morning* to time-table tune.

In the low-lying parts of Bastion the residences are surrounded by water which is mining the gardens and causing general discomfort.

t Conntry reports arc slow in coinim* in. The Xcarurava, a t Fernhill, has fallen six feet but the Omaha district is sull submerged. The river overflowed its banks at Twvford last night and Horded a considerable area of land. Very heavy losses of stock are 1 reported from Meenoe and PakowhM. In th# '"''f dlst riet one man lost between 2000 and 300 ft sheep, another several hundred, and one man 400. Thev report (hat the water is higher tlmn 'in IM7. The suddenness of the flood prevented the removal of stock.