HEAVY RAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 June 1921, Page 4

HEAVY RAIN.

RIVERS IN HIGH FLOOD. WATER PENETRATES PREMISES BROUGHAM STREET CLOSED. After a spell of mild, weather, heavy rain throughout yesterday gave the countryside a good soaking. Pedestrians found the downpour heavy enough to give them a good wetting while proceeding even a very short distance, while the overflow got into the cellars of some buildings and found weaknesses in many premises. The flood in the Huatoki and Mangotuku (which joins the Huatoki) established records, the water being abouli three feet higher than the previous re-< cords. The Waiwakaiho was running high, although not so high, as has been the case on previous occasions. In the Huatoki thqi rise was rapid and phenomenal, ini some places, it is estimated, being’ fivq to six feet above the usual level. W Devon Street central the swirling wat4 era in this stream were an object ofinterest to many passers-by late yesterw day afternoon. At a spot between’ Devon and Gill Streets a sewer pipat tuns across the banks, and the watery had reached up to this level. Therdj was a good deal of-odd timber and deb- 1 ris being brought down in the river, aneb this banked up, threatening the safety of the pipe. The obstruction, however# was cleared by the borough staff. The principal damage is in Kin# Street, where u subsidence occurred between Hooker's building and the Northern Steamship office. At this point the Mangotuku Stream runs under King. Street, and this is the source of the. trouble. The damage was immediately investigated by Mr. Cook (the borough engineer), who found the was about eight feet, deep and extendo#Jk right across the footpath. As far a./ could be ascertained last night the roadway is solid, but traffic is advised to avoid this point until further investigations are made. At the bottom of King Street, where it joins Brougham Street, a sheet of water cpvered the roadway last night, while the water also penetrated buildings in the locality. Across

Brougham Street at this point a wooden bridge‘--said to be about forty years old —covers the roadway under the surface, and some fear is entertained as to the safety of the structure. It was inn possible to make more than a preliminary examination last night, but to hr on the safe side Mr. Cook decided to close the road to vehicular traffic, pending a more thorough investigation this morning. AH business places in the town which have cellars attached suffered by the storm, the water filling cellars ip Devon Street to a depth of three to four feet, while cellars bordering the Huatoki carried water to a depth of five feet. Mr. Cook carried out a thorough inspection of the borough as far a* the neighborhood of Moturoa, and he did not romplete his task until early this morning. Mr. Cook states that beyond the trouble in King (Street and Brougham Street and the water in cellars, everything—including all the bridges —is sound, the flood waters are rapidly subsiding. It rained heavily in the early part of last night, but towards midnight the downpour slackened, while early this mdrning only a light drizzle was falling. The official weather report isfurther unsettled weather, with rain probable.