THE STORM.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1660, 15 November 1887, Page 2

THE STORM.

A storm of unusual violence has visited this district. The weather was on Sunday morning all that could he desired, hut at 12 o’clock symptoms of the coming storm were observable,, and shortly afterwards it commenced to rain, and during the afternoon very heavy thunder accompanied by lightning was experienced. At 6 p.m, rain fell in torrents, and continued without the least abatement all night, and up to 11 o’clock yesterday morning, when signs of brightening gave hope that the storm was at an end. After midday the wind freshened iip, and the rain, which had not ceased, commenced to fall more heavily, and the whole afternoon was wet and stormy. The Temuka river, into which all the Waitobi and Kakahu creeks were pouring immense quantities of water, rose very high, but the Opihi, though in flood, was not very bad. Vine street, and up to the Temuka Hotel and all along the back of the houses fronting the Main Street was one sheet of water. The water reached Mr D. Leach’s shop so early in the morning as 2 o’clock, and at that hour he thought it advisable to clear out with his family and removed to Mr McCallum’s house, near the Catholic Church. Yesterday afternoon the water rose to within five or six yards of the Star Hotel, and Mr Eoddick and his family also found it necessary to leave their home. A cow belonging to Mr John Hamilton, which was grazing near the , Manse footbridge, was taken away by i the flood, and when last seen she was ! swimming down through Q-eorge • Town in the middle of the stream, i Doubtless many losses will be susi tained, but up to the time of going to ! press none was reported. At = 4 p.m. the weather moderated, though it did not altogether clear up, and the great excitement of the afternoon was boating in Yine Street and on the sections in front of the Temuka Leader Office. The boating was set on foot by two important citizens taking a pull down Vine Street. At the drillshed end they met another citizen, whom they took on board, and 1 back they rowed against a very strong current—one of them rowing, another bailing the water out, and the third using his umbrella as a sail. The umbrella was not a success, ■ for it usually managed to catch the wind so as to drive the boat straight into the fence. After some difficulties, they succeeded in reaching the crossing in front of the Leader Office, but here unsurmountable difficulties met them. The water had slightly subsided, and the increased weight of the third citizen made it impossible to bring the boat across the crown of the road, as she would persist in running aground. Here they were, then, . with the prospect of having to wade knee-deep through about 100 yards .of water, and a Council of War was called, when it was suggested that the individual who had come latest on board should be thrown overboard so as to lighten the boat, and enable the others to sail home in her. To this the individual referred to objected, and hinted that possibly some of them would have to accompany him if he had to go. : While they were thus arguing the point, another citizen came up on horseback, and lightened the cargo by taking ,one up behind on the horse. Still there was not enough water on the crown of the road to allow the boat to pass, and there they stuck till another citizen dressed up in gum boots arrived and helped to drag the boat across. Across the sections in front of the Leader Office was straight sailing, but there was a sufficient number on the ! bank to make landing difficult.. These found it great fun to push back the boat, and throw other difficulties. in the way, but after some time the mariners were allowed to come ashore. A fresh crew set out in the boat immediately, but they had not gone far when they mutinied, and two of them went overboard. The water was between 3ft. and 4ft. deep, and one of them waded ashore, while the other re-entered the boat and cruised around for a while. Then the boat returned, and from that out the fun grew fast and furious, and several got a good ducking, One gentleman who had been moistening the internal man added zest to the proceedings by walking down the bank and falling right into a very deep hole, where he vanished out of sight; He next attempted to enter the boat, but it j capsized, and. he was again ducked. J

This sort of play was continued until close on six o’clock, when those who had got a ducking appeared to have had enough of it, and returned home. By this time the flood had greatly subsided, and at dusk it had gone down about two feet, and though the weather continued stormy and wet it is not anticipated it will rise again. Up to last night no report of any great individual loss had been re* ported, but the damage to crops and the loss of stock must be great. The roads and fords throughout the district will also be considerably damaged. Owing to damage to the railway somewhere about St. Andrews, the express train from Dunedin did not reach Temuka until 7.45 p.m. In Geraldine about 1 o’clock on Sunday hailstones of an enormous size began to fall. One of these was measured at the Gtjabdiait office and was found to he 3iiu. in diameter. In about a quarter of an hour hail and rain began to fall in torrents. Fortunately, however, the hail was of a smaller size than when the storm first commenced,' otherwise the damage to skylights, stock, etc., would havebeen enormous. The rain and hail continued to pour down incessantly, accompanied by wind, lightning, and heavy thunder, and the gutters and spoutings of the roofs becoming choked there were very few roofs found to he capable of keeping the water out, and in many cases it poured through as through a seive. In spite of the drenching downfall numbers of people were to be seen on their roofs with shovels and brooms, trying to let: the water getaway. Most of the storekeepers and drapers suffered more or less damage to their stocks by the water getting in through the roof. There were, however, a J number of kindly hands who were willing to assist in removing goods to dryer parts of the building, thus averting a portion of the loss. Messrs N. Dunlop and Co. and Mr J. W. Pye were about the greatest sufferers in this respect. The lower part of the town was very soon flooded. The creek which runs down through the Park was in high , flood, and the culvert by Mr Huffey’s corner being unable to carry it away J it went running down the main 1 street, I completely covering the road and , footpaths, and causing many at the ; lower end of the town to fear that L the Waihi river had broken mby Mr Huffey’s. The members of thjs Town ( Board were out, and having' obtained , the services of some of their employees the latter were soon busy;:.under the ' direction of the Board’s Overseer in f divertingthe water from the main ( road where possible, and at other places pulling up culverts, etc., in order to let the storm waterf have a | free course. A large body! of the ’ water from the Park creek • was diverted through Mr Huffey’s,property. [ A good stream was also running down . the road at Mr Gibson’s bonier and ' through Mr Dunlop’s property, and | an embankment of timber, and earth was placed across the road which sent ; the stream down to Mr Maslin’s [ corner and thence down to the creek on Pleasant Yalley road. By ; about six o’clock they had managed to clear the footpaths and roids of a ; good deal of water, but the men still ; continued to work. till-about ten o’clock. There must have been a | very heavy fall of rain indeed up in the hills,, as the. Waihi river, which | usually takes about four hours to come down was very much swollen in ' about two hours after the rain commenced, By about five 'o’clock it was ; impassable; at ten o’clock it was very high, and on Monday morning it was in heavier flood than it has been for many years past, the Stream running ; bank high, and being up- to the stringers of the footbridge. A gentleman who arrivedin Temuka yesterday by the express from Christchurch, informed our reporter \ that it commenced to rain in Christchurch about 6 p.m. on Sunday, and fall steadily, and at times heavily, till shortly before the train left on Monday morning, it j ceased. There, were, no . signs of an ».exceptional rainfall iiayirig occurred unt'l Tinwald was passed, when the line for a mile or two, appeared to be through a was quite submerged. Before reaching Winslow, a delay of some minutes bccurred, while one of the sleepers' that bad been scoured out,, was replaced. On reaching Winslow, the; train from Timaru was met, having been delayed by the bed of some, of the sleepers having been washed out. ~ Between Winslow and the -Hinds,{ and at Bangitata South the line was under water in places, andai wds Evident that the culverts left for the passage of the water, were too small and.too le w. In places the fences, at the *side of the line were , almost covered, and one or two houses • \ were/ seen surrounded by water; of the rivers were very high, with the exception of the Hinds and the 1 Otarr;'though the Se’wyn, Ashburton,. Bangitata, and others were slightly swollen. At Bangitata snow was lying itf drifts on the riverbed and along the railway, a rather unpleasant sight for the month of November*.;; The water lying, on thq surfaW qf tjbe ground between Wmslovy, and Tempka showed that the fall of rain during Sunday night must have been Something phenomenal. Temuka was reached thirty minutes late. ; ‘ ■- i