DISASTROUS FLOODS IN HAWKE’S BAY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2591, 7 December 1893, Page 4

DISASTROUS FLOODS IN HAWKE’S BAY.

Napier, Dec. 4. Heavy rain has fallen during the last few days at Hawke’s Bay, flooding the iowlying lands, where the potato crops have been seriously damaged. On Sunday two breaches occurred in the railway line, but the repairs were expected to be completed on Monday evening. At Hastings the Fire Brigade on Monday morning was engaged in pumping out the water from the hotel cellars. Shearing is very backward throughout the district. Dec. 5. Never within the history of Hawke’s Bay has such desolation been wrought as by the floods consequent on the heavy rain which has been falling since Friday. Napier is free of danger, but Clive and Menace are nothing but one huge mass of water. Hay fields, potatoes, and crops in general, have all met the same disaster, and the farmers are sailing about in boats. At Meanee the scene is saddening in the extr, me. The residents there had an anxious time last night, and many people left their homes to seek refuge on high-lying places. The Meanee river bank gave way in live places at 9 o’clock last night, causing a perfect rush of water over the flat in the locality. At Clive things are just as bad. Boats have been despatched to render assistance. The train cannot even run further than Clive, so all railway traffic on the Napier line is completely stopped to-day. It is not known yet whetaer there has been any loss of life, but it is feared that a great many cattle have been drowned.

At Te A ute the road is blocked by slips for half a mile. A portion of the Omahu bridge has been washed away. Tne new road to Taradale is almost impassable. For about a mile there is several feet of water on it.

The police wired from Clive this afternoon that the majority of the residents have been removed from their homes to the hotel. They saved nothing, and accommodation has been arranged for a number of the sufferers in Napier. Extra food supplies are being despatched to Clive. The mayor is taking steps to alleviate the immediate distress. FURTHER PARTICULARS.

The most disastrous flood ever recorded in Hawke’s Bay occurred last night. The whole of the low-lying country between Napier and Ormondville, 63 miles, is more or leas affected. Very heavy rain commenced on Saturday evening and fell on Sunday and Monday to the south of Napier, but apparently the north is little affected, as the Taupo coach got through without difficulty yesterday. The first intimation of damage received at Napier was the news of two breaks in the permanent way of the railway near Te Aute. It was expected that communication would be restored in a few hours, but all the rivers commenced to rise very rapidly and the damage extended. The country is yet so much under water that accurate details of the damage cannot be ascertained, but the large bridges at Waipawa and Waitangi are seriously damaged, and the smaller bridges wasned away, closing all railway communication between here and Ormomiyille. Most of the country bridges are a j s o seriously damaged, but the postal authonui“ a hope that one route may be left open for Mach traffic. Telegraphic communication south Of Waipukurau was interrupted about W o’clock, it was then known that the floods were rising, and that immense losses of sheep had occurred. Still the settlers on the plains around Napier were not alarmed. The Tutaekuri was not in great volume, and there were excellent mouths to the Ngamrora and Tukituki, and it was thought teat all flood waters could escape. There was a great deal of surface water lying about, but no greater disaster than loss of potato crops and cut hay was feared. However, after midnight the waters began to rise with phenomenal rapidity, and soon covered the whole country. Messengers galloped into town for boats, and these saved many families. In some cases the water was so high that holes had to ue cut through the roofs to receive the inmates. The large embankment erected by Nelson Bros, and a few other settlers at Clive some If years ago for the protection of toeir properties broke, and flooded deeply to a large extent the thickly-stocked country, which was believed to be quite safe. The roads were impassable this .afternoon and no accurate information as to tbs .extent of the losses can be had. Practically the whole of the crops of the Ahuriri plains aud nearly all the stock must have perished. Many settlers will be totally ruined. At Waipawa the famil es on low-lying sections were rescued, but it was impossible to communicate with the houses in the riverbed, there being no boats. The Herald’s correspondent telegraphs this afternoon that the houses seem to be failing over, and it is feared that all the r n ’'Mutants are drowned. Erst Clive, the Imvpst of the pMins around Napier, had not been o’clock this afterim 011 ’ ** ul there will be loss of life t. ' ere ' three deaths have been asc.-rtaine.-.' r McFarlane, brother-in-law of the of Maroekakaho station, and four settlers were endeavouring to secure the suspension bridge, when all were washed away. Two made their way to shore and two got on an island, where they were rescued by the Maories, but McFarlane was drowned. The Rev. S. Douglas, Presbyterian minister, wished to get to Taradale, and accepted a lift on a butcher’s cart. At a low part of the road the current was so strong that the cart was overturned and Mr Douglas was swept away to sea. A boy at Clive, name unknown, was also seen to drown. On the higher parts of the plains about Hastings, the water is not so deep, aud there is no current, but the dams are all choked up aud the whole country is under water. The rain threatens to return, and if it does l . so the disasters must be still greater. Later.

Information as to the damage done by the floods filters through slowly, owing to the impassibility of the roans along the line of telegraph. Though it has been fixe for ten hours the waters have gone down very little, and rain threatens to set in . again, in which case further damage mayresult. So far as can be ascertained only Mr McFarlane and Mr Douglas have lost their lives. The report as to the loss of a boy at Clive requires confirmation. When the boats reached East Clive the residents were found better off than expected, aud though some were perched on the roois of their houses only one woman would leave in the boats. At Waipawa all the residents in the threatened houses were rescued. At Waipukurau one family nearly lost the number of their mess. Their home was carried bodily some distance down stream. The family were seen on the roof making signals of distress, but nothing could be done for them, and they spent the night there. In the morning boats were got from the lake and all were rescued much exhausted. The loss of stock is estimated at 60,000 sheep, probably double that number, and hundreds of horses and cattle. There will be very great distress, and the Herald has already opened a fund for the relief of the settlers News has just come in that a young man named John Glare called at Birch’s station and inquired the way- to Anderson’s. Soon afterwards he was seen in difficulties in the river, and he rolled off his horse and has not been seen any njoie Wellington, Dec. 5.

The weather for some days has been col l and wet, and more rain has fallen already than in the whole of last month. On Friday night last i.I inches of rain fell To-day is wet and squally. The Superintendent of Telegraphs has rec-ived information thafctwo 7! - e.t .- pans of tho Waipawa railway bridge were swept away at la.-t mgnt, also three chain? of embankment. The railway line i-- i damaged also near Pakipaki, aud a mile of the permanent way is washed out. Near Te Aute there are numerous slips on the line, extending over a distance of 1? miles

from Waipawa. A temporary bridge will be constructed at Waipawa, but it will be several days before traffic can be resumed.